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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To accept SFTP connections on a Windows PC or server, install or confirm the OpenSSH Server capability, start the sshd service, allow inbound TCP port 22 through the Windows firewall, and configure an account that can authenticate. SFTP runs over SSH; it is not a separate Windows server service. The steps below cover a basic setup, connection testing, and optional SFTP-only directory confinement.
1. Check whether OpenSSH Server is installed
Open an elevated PowerShell window (Run as administrator) and check the OpenSSH capabilities:
Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where-Object Name -like 'OpenSSH*'If the OpenSSH.Server capability is not installed, add it:
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name OpenSSH.Server~~~~0.0.1.0You can also install it through Windows Optional Features. Check the target computer rather than assuming its state: Microsoft says OpenSSH is installed by default beginning with Windows Server 2025; other supported systems may need the capability added. Microsoft’s current setup guidance covers Windows Server and Windows client systems: Get started with OpenSSH Server for Windows.
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2. Start the SSH server and allow connections
SFTP connections are handled by the OpenSSH SSH Server service, sshd. In elevated PowerShell, start the service and set it to start automatically when Windows starts:
Start-Service sshd
Set-Service -Name sshd -StartupType 'Automatic'Check whether the standard inbound firewall rule exists:
Get-NetFirewallRule -Name 'OpenSSH-Server-In-TCP' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinueMicrosoft’s documented rule permits inbound TCP port 22. If the rule is missing, create it in elevated PowerShell:
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New-NetFirewallRule -Name 'OpenSSH-Server-In-TCP' `
-DisplayName 'OpenSSH Server (sshd)' `
-Enabled True -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -Action Allow -LocalPort 22The Windows firewall rule only controls traffic at the host. A router, cloud security group, or other network firewall between the client and server may also need to allow TCP port 22. See Microsoft’s installation and first-use instructions for the service and firewall setup.
3. Choose how users will authenticate
Windows OpenSSH supports password and public-key authentication. Choose according to your access policy and how you manage credentials; Microsoft does not prescribe one method for every deployment. Windows OpenSSH does not currently support Microsoft Entra account authentication, according to Microsoft’s Windows OpenSSH configuration documentation.
Password authentication
A connecting user needs a Windows account on the server and must supply credentials accepted by that account. Limit access to the users who need file transfer. Windows OpenSSH configuration directives such as AllowUsers, AllowGroups, DenyUsers, and DenyGroups can control which accounts or groups may connect.
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Public-key authentication
The usual key file is .ssh/authorized_keys in the connecting user’s home directory. There is a Windows-specific exception: accounts in the Administrators group use %programdata%/ssh/administrators_authorized_keys instead. Microsoft requires that administrator key file’s permissions be restricted to SYSTEM and BUILTINAdministrators; incorrect permissions can cause key authentication to fail. Follow Microsoft’s authorized-keys and permission instructions rather than applying a generic Linux recipe.
Windows ships a particular OpenSSH version, and Microsoft notes that some upstream configuration directives are unavailable. Consult the Windows-specific configuration reference before copying settings from a guide written for Linux.
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4. Optional: confine an account to an SFTP-only directory
Ordinary SFTP access does not automatically confine a user to a directory tree. If the account should be limited to file transfer and a designated area, Windows OpenSSH supports an SFTP chroot configuration. In %programdata%sshsshd_config, configure the relevant account or group with ForceCommand internal-sftp and a ChrootDirectory. Apply the rule narrowly to the intended users; this changes their SSH session behavior.
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Chroot configuration has Windows-specific permission requirements. The chroot path must be local, and the chroot directory should be owned by SYSTEM or Administrators. Create a subfolder inside it and grant the SFTP user the access needed to write there; do not make the chroot root itself writable by that user. A remote cmd.exe session does not honor ChrootDirectory, which is why ForceCommand internal-sftp is important when the goal is SFTP-only confinement. Microsoft’s configuration guidance and SFTP troubleshooting instructions explain the relevant ownership and ACL constraints. There is no single safe ACL recipe for every account and directory layout; set permissions for the actual path and user.
5. Restart the service and connect from a client
Windows OpenSSH reads its server configuration from %programdata%sshsshd_config at service startup. Restart the SSH Server service after changing the file:
Restart-Service sshdFrom a client with an SFTP-capable OpenSSH client, connect using the Windows host name or address and the account name:
sftp username@server-hostnameReplace username and server-hostname with the Windows account and reachable host name or address. If prompted, authenticate using the configured method. A successful login opens an SFTP session; the exact directory shown depends on the account and any chroot configuration.
Troubleshoot common connection failures
- Connection refused or reset: Confirm that
sshdis running, theOpenSSH-Server-In-TCPrule is enabled, and the network path permits SSH traffic. - Public key rejected: Check that the key is in the correct authorized-keys location for the account type and that the file’s ACLs meet Windows OpenSSH requirements. Administrator-group accounts use the ProgramData administrator key file.
- Chroot fails or does not confine the session: Connect with SFTP, apply
ForceCommand internal-sftpif the account must be SFTP-only, use a local chroot path, and check ownership and permissions on both the chroot and its writable subfolder. - A configuration change appears ignored: Restart
sshdafter editingsshd_config. - You need more detail about a failure: Microsoft documents file-based OpenSSH logging under
%programdata%sshlogs. SetSyslogFacility LOCAL0in the server configuration and restart the service to use file logging; then inspect the logs. See Microsoft’s SFTP troubleshooting guide.
Windows version and configuration notes
Microsoft’s Windows OpenSSH configuration documentation lists Windows Server 2025, 2022, and 2019, and Windows 11 and Windows 10. Check the current Microsoft guidance and the installed OpenSSH version for the specific host, since support and available directives can vary by version. Configuration edits require a service restart before they take effect.
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