Computing & Information Services

WinSCP for Windows

To access your Home Server or the Courses Server from off campus, you must use an SFTP program.  For Windows, we recommend you use an SFTP program called WinSCP.

For more general information about SFTP click here.

Getting WinSCP for Windows

  1. Download WinSCP. We recommend that you select the latest installer version instead of a Beta.
  2. Double-click on the installer to launch it and follow the installation directions. WinSCP should by default place a shortcut on your desktop. Double-click the icon to launch the program.
    WinSCP Icon

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Connecting to Your Home Server with WinSCP

  1. Launch WinSCP by double-clicking on its icon.
  2. Under Host name, type in reed.edu
  3. Under User name, type your Reed network username.
  4. Select SFTP from the Protocol list.
  5. Click on the Login button at the bottom.

  6. WinSCP Login

  1. If you see the following warning message, click Yes to continue.
    Host authenticity
  2. When prompted, enter your network password and click OK.

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Connecting to the Courses Server with WinSCP

  1. Launch WinSCP by double-clicking on its icon.
  2. Under Host name, type in reed.edu
  3. Under User name, type your Reed network username.
  4. Select SFTP from the Protocol list.
  5. On the left-hand side, click on Directories under the Environment category.
  6. In the Remote directory field on the right, enter /courses
  7. Click on the Login button at the bottom.

    WinSCP Login

  8. If you see the following warning message, click Yes to continue.
    Host authenticity
  9. When prompted, enter your network password and click OK.

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Transferring Files with WinSCP

When you are connected you will be taken to a window showing two panels. The left panel shows your local My Documents folder and the right panel shows the files on the server. You can navigate within either of these windows the same way that you would in an Explorer window. To copy files to the server, simply drag them from the left panel into the right panel. To copy files from the server to your local computer, drag from the right panel to the left panel. Remember, do not edit files directly off the server--save a copy to your local computer for editing and then copy it back to the server when done.

WinSCP Interface

When you are finished, simply quit the program and you will be disconnected from the Home Server.

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Adding a Saved Session to WinSCP

WinSCP allows you to save a session, so that you don't have to enter all the information each time you want to connect to a server.

  1. Go back to the login window. If you are connected to the Home Server or Courses Server, you need to disconnect. From the Session menu at the top, select Disconnect.
  2. Enter the appropriate information in the Host name and User name fields.
  3. Click on the Save button at the bottom.
  4. You are prompted to enter a name for the session. Enter anything you like and then click OK.

    Save Session

Stored sessions can be found by clicking Stored Sessions in the left-hand pane under the Session category.  Simply click the session name and then Login. 

If you have further questions, please contact Computer User Services.

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