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PuTTY is was displaying some weird characters due to incorrectly set character set (credit to previous SU question for helping me figure that out)

Now that I know switching the Received data assumed to be in which character set: would address this issue, how would I fix this in all of my saved sessions? I tried changing it in the Default Settings session but it did not propagate to the other sessions.

Might just need to do it manual which is okay I suppose. But I do have almost 30 sessions.

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4 Answers 4

Reset to default
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I just had the same problem and found PuTTY session manager:

PuTTY Session Manager is a tool that allows system administrators to organise their PuTTY sessions into folders and assign hotkeys to favourite sessions. Multiple sessions can be launched with one click. Requires MS Windows and the .NET 2.0 Runtime.

It allows you to configure specific attributes of all sessions at once while leaving the distinct elements alone.

PuTTY Session Manager has no documentation, so here are instructions (correct as of version 0.50.189.0):

  1. In PuTTY, load the default settings, change the settings you need, and save it as the default again.
  2. Install PuTTY session manager (if you don't already have it) and start it.
  3. Right click the PuTTY Session Manager icon in the system tray, and choose "Session Editor"
  4. Select all sessions and click "Copy Session" at the bottom of the window.
  5. Make sure the "Choose Session Template" dropdown is set to "Default Settings", choose "Copy only selected attributes", choose the category or individual attributes you need to change, and click "OK".
  6. Choose whether to save a backup of your sessions before the changes are made (highly recommended).
  7. Confirm that you want the changes to be applied.
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  • 2
    +1 Had already installed the program but was not aware, that it can do that!
    – ceving
    Nov 27, 2014 at 15:34
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    Worked perfectly. Since that functionality is quite hidden, here is how you do it: 1) in the normal putty load the default session, change the color and save it. Install the session manager and start it. Afterwards, you'll have an icon in your system tray. Right click, choose session editor, select all sessions, choose "copy session attribute", from default template, only selected attributes, choose colors and apply. Thanks a lot for that tipp whish I had known that tool for years :)
    – Christopher Lörken
    Feb 16, 2015 at 10:53
  • Note: this tool uses raw attribute names rather than the friendly labels shown in the normal PuTTY settings. I'm not sure how one maps from one to the other. (For instance, I was trying to copy the visual bell setting, but struggled to find which attribute was relevant).
    – Duncan Jones
    Jun 16, 2017 at 8:20
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Export the Putty sessions stored in the registry by exporting the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham. Then search-replace the desired settings merge the .reg file back to registry.

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I found the application "SupperPuTTY" can solve this problem more easily and easier to understand, it treats original PuTTY sessions as configuration files.

An example as below.

  1. Click Tools -> PuTTY Configuration, as Capture 1;
  2. Change some settings (e.g. colors), then in block Load, save or delete a stored session, click Default Settings and click Save;
  3. Right click on PuTTY Sessions, and click new, as Capture 2;
  4. In the new popup Create New Session, you can select appropriate configuration file in PuTTY Session Profile list. For examples, select Default Settings, as Capture 3.

In the future, if you change some settings of Default Settings, then all changes will apply on all sessions using Default Settings.

Sorry for my poor English if not described clearly.

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I believe this is all stored in registry entries - so you'd have to use a tool that allows you to update a set of registry keys based on some criteria (probably involving wildcards)

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  • After taking a few deep breaths and opening regedit.exe, found the settings: HKCU\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions. Now if only I knew which key corresponds to the charset settings :-/
    – Belmin Fernandez
    Oct 20, 2010 at 20:54
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    Maybe, export the registry entries for one key, change the "Received data assumed to be in which character set" value. Export the registry keys again. diff. Unless you have a very large number of sessions, I have a feeling that editing each session might be faster (though arguably tedious and less fun).
    – RedGrittyBrick
    Oct 20, 2010 at 21:09
  • Have almost 30 sessions. I think I'll just use a Python script but you're export/import idea is a smart one nonetheless. First, need to figure out which value corresponds to the setting.
    – Belmin Fernandez
    Oct 20, 2010 at 22:09
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    Try changing LineCodePage
    – jackhab
    Jul 5, 2011 at 14:50

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