KB-4678: How to deploy default settings of PuTTY using group policy

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KB-4678: How to deploy default settings of PuTTY using group policy

Product:

Authentication Service ,

Published:

12 April,16 at 11:10 AM

Rating:

Applied to: All versions of Centrify DirectControl for UNIX/Linux

Question:

Is there any way to deploy default settings of PuTTY using group policy?

Answer:

The default settings of PuTTY are stored in the following Windows registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions\Default%20Settings\

User-added image

The registry key can be manually changed and the change will be reflected when PuTTY is re-opened.

It is also possible to deploy the default settings of PuTTY using group policy. Here are the steps:

1. Open the "Group Policy Management Editor" on Windows server, navigate to the setting "User Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Registry" on the left panel tree view.

2. On the right panel, right click and select "New > Registry Item" to create a new Registry Item. Below is an example to update the default value of registry key "AutoUnixName" from 1 to 3:

Action: Update
Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Key Path: Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions\Default%20Settings\
Value name: AutoUnixName
Value type: REG_DWORD
Value data: 00000003
Base: Hexadecimal

Below is a Microsoft KB article describing how to configure a registry item in more details:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753092.aspx
(Link provided as a courtesy)

After the registry item is configured in Group Policy Management Editor console, the setting will become effective after a group policy refresh interval, which is by default 90-120 minutes.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc940895.aspx
(Link provided as a courtesy)

User can also run "gpupdate" in a command, or logout and login again to update the settings immediately, instead of waiting for the group policy refresh interval.

The registry key is updated after the policy became effective:
User-added image