To change a temporary or expired password during your first PuTTY login, connect to the SSH server with keyboard-interactive authentication enabled. Enter the assigned username and temporary password, then answer the server’s new-password and confirmation prompts. The SSH server—not PuTTY—decides when the change is required, what the prompts say, and which password rules apply.
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If the new-password prompt never appears, enable Connection > SSH > Auth > Attempt keyboard-interactive authentication and reconnect. PuTTY leaves this option enabled by default, but it can be switched off.
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Have the connection details supplied by the server administrator ready. You normally need:
- The server’s hostname or IP address.
- The SSH port, commonly supplied separately from the address.
- The assigned username, including its exact capitalization if the server distinguishes case.
- The temporary, initial, or expired password.
- The administrator’s password requirements, if they were provided.
A password change at first login is an SSH-server policy. PuTTY provides the terminal connection and sends your responses; it does not contain a separate password editor that can bypass the server’s rules. The server may require a replacement because the account was created with a one-time password, marked expired, or configured to force a change before normal shell access.
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Enable the authentication method that carries the password-change prompt
Keyboard-interactive authentication
SSH-2 keyboard-interactive authentication lets the server send a sequence of requests and receive your responses. The sequence can include a temporary-password check followed immediately by requests for a new password and confirmation. PuTTY’s documentation identifies this mechanism as suitable for “asking the user for a new password when the old one has expired.”
In PuTTY, open the session configuration and select Connection > SSH > Auth. Leave Attempt keyboard-interactive authentication enabled. PuTTY’s documented default is enabled, although the setting includes a switch to turn it off if necessary.
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A normal password-authentication exchange can authenticate a password, but an expired-password workflow often needs the server to ask additional questions in sequence. Keyboard-interactive is the relevant SSH-2 method for that multi-step exchange. If it has been disabled, the server may be unable to present the replacement-password prompts through your PuTTY session.
Step-by-step: change the password during first login
1. Start a new SSH session
- Open PuTTY.
- On the Session screen, select SSH as the connection type.
- Enter the server address in Host Name (or IP address).
- Enter the SSH port supplied by the administrator.
- Before opening the connection, go to Connection > SSH > Auth and verify that Attempt keyboard-interactive authentication is enabled.
These settings identify the SSH service and allow the server to use an interactive challenge sequence. Do not change unrelated authentication options unless the administrator instructed you to do so.
2. Accept the host-key warning when appropriate
On a first connection, PuTTY can display a host-key warning because it has not seen that server before. Verify the fingerprint with the administrator or the organization’s documented record before accepting it. This warning concerns the server’s identity; it is separate from your username, temporary password, and password-change policy.
3. Enter the assigned username
When the terminal displays login as:, type the username exactly as supplied and press Enter. Avoid adding spaces or substituting a similarly named account. The server uses this identity to locate the account whose password is being changed.
4. Enter the temporary or expired password
At the password prompt, type the temporary password and press Enter. PuTTY does not display password characters while you type—not even asterisks—so the blank-looking line is expected. Type carefully rather than assuming the keyboard is unresponsive.
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The server now evaluates the credential. A valid temporary password may be accepted only long enough to begin the mandatory replacement process. An expired, locked, disabled, or otherwise restricted account can be rejected before a new-password prompt is possible.
5. Enter and confirm the replacement password
If the account is subject to a forced change, the server sends another prompt. Its wording varies, but it may ask for a new password and then ask you to enter it again. Type the replacement password, press Enter, type the same password at the confirmation prompt, and press Enter again.
Because PuTTY hides all password input, rely on the prompt sequence rather than visual feedback. If the two entries do not match, the server may reject the change and ask again or terminate the session.
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6. Wait for the server’s result
A successful change normally leads to the shell prompt or to the next login step defined by the server. The server may also print a confirmation message. Treat authentication and password replacement as separate outcomes: the temporary credential can be accepted while the new password is rejected, or the initial authentication can fail before the change is attempted.
7. Reconnect if the session closes
If PuTTY closes the connection, reports an error, or never reaches a usable shell after the change, open a new session and authenticate with the new password. Do not continue retrying the old temporary password; a server may regard it as expired or already consumed.
What the prompts mean
| Stage | Who controls it | What you do | Possible result |
|---|---|---|---|
login as: |
The SSH server | Enter the assigned username and press Enter. | The server selects the account to authenticate. |
| Password request | The SSH server, displayed by PuTTY | Enter the temporary or current password and press Enter. | The credential is accepted, rejected, or blocked by account policy. |
| New-password request | The SSH server’s keyboard-interactive exchange | Enter a password that meets the server’s rules. | The proposed replacement is accepted for confirmation or rejected. |
| Confirmation request | The SSH server | Enter the same replacement password a second time. | The server records the change or reports a mismatch or policy failure. |
| Shell prompt or disconnect | The SSH server | Use the shell, or reconnect with the new password if the session ended. | Access is available, or another server-side restriction is reported. |
Prompt text and ordering are not standardized across every SSH implementation. One server may say “current password,” “new password,” and “Retype new password”; another may use different wording or include an additional challenge. Follow the administrator’s instructions and the text shown in your own terminal.
PuTTY settings versus server policy
Two servers can behave differently with the same PuTTY configuration because the client and server have different responsibilities.
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| Question | PuTTY client setting | SSH-server policy |
|---|---|---|
| Can a multi-step challenge be displayed? | Attempt keyboard-interactive authentication in Connection > SSH > Auth must be enabled. | The server must offer keyboard-interactive authentication and issue the relevant requests. |
| Which username is valid? | PuTTY sends the username you enter. | The server determines whether that account exists and may apply naming or access restrictions. |
| Is a password expired or temporary? | PuTTY cannot determine or override the account state. | The server marks the credential as expired, one-time, forced-change, locked, or otherwise restricted. |
| What makes a new password acceptable? | PuTTY transmits your entries without evaluating their strength. | The server applies length, complexity, history, reuse, and other local rules. |
| What happens after a failure? | PuTTY can show the server’s message and let you reconnect. | The server decides whether to retry, reject, lock, disconnect, or record the event. |
SSH Communications Security server documentation describes states in which a user is forced to change a password and records whether the change succeeded or failed. This is why a successful initial credential check does not guarantee that the replacement will be accepted.
Troubleshooting a missing or rejected password change
No new-password prompt appears
- Close the session and reopen its settings.
- Go to Connection > SSH > Auth.
- Confirm Attempt keyboard-interactive authentication is enabled.
- Reconnect and repeat the username and temporary-password steps.
The option is enabled by default in PuTTY, but it can be disabled accidentally or by a saved session profile. If it is enabled and the prompt still does not appear, the server may not be offering keyboard-interactive authentication, or the account may not actually be marked for a forced change. Ask the administrator which authentication method and account state apply.
Access is denied before you can choose a new password
Check the username and temporary password first. Remember that PuTTY hides all password characters, so a typing mistake gives no visual clue. If the details are correct, the account may be expired, locked, disabled, outside an allowed access policy, or restricted by another server rule. PuTTY cannot override those conditions; the administrator must restore or adjust the account.
The server rejects the replacement password
Use the exact rules supplied by the administrator. Common server-side requirements include a minimum length, upper- and lower-case characters, numbers or symbols, a ban on recently used passwords, and restrictions against reusing the temporary password or part of the username. The rules differ by server. If the prompt gives no useful explanation, stop repeated guesses and ask the administrator for the policy.
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Because neither entry is echoed, mismatches are easy to make. Type both entries slowly, check the keyboard layout, and avoid pasting if the server or terminal handles pasted text unexpectedly. If the server disconnects after the mismatch, reconnect and start the change again with the temporary credential or with whichever credential the administrator confirms is active.
You entered the wrong username
Do not assume that typing a different username after a failed attempt will restart authentication cleanly. PuTTY documentation warns that, depending on the SSH protocol and server, changing the username after an unsuccessful attempt may not be accepted. Close the connection, start a fresh session, and enter the correct username at the new login as: prompt.
Keyboard-interactive was disabled
Reopen the saved session, turn Attempt keyboard-interactive authentication back on, save the session if you use a profile, and reconnect. Enabling it affects whether PuTTY can participate in the server’s interactive exchange; it does not change the password or relax server policy.
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The connection drops during the change
Do not assume the result from a silent disconnect. Contact the administrator or reconnect once with the temporary credential, following the server’s instructions. The server may have recorded a successful change even if the final message did not reach PuTTY, or it may have rejected the request. Repeated attempts with an uncertain account state can trigger lockout controls.
How to choose a valid replacement password
The administrator’s policy takes precedence over general password advice. Before entering a new value, determine whether the server requires a particular length, character mix, history gap, or prohibition on reuse. A password that is strong in general terms can still fail if it appears in the account’s recent-password history or contains a prohibited username fragment.
- Use a value you can enter consistently twice while the characters remain hidden.
- Do not reuse the temporary password unless the administrator explicitly says it is allowed.
- Avoid copying a password into an untrusted terminal or sharing it in chat or email.
- Store the new credential only in an organization-approved password manager or other approved system.
PuTTY does not display, score, or validate the proposed password. Acceptance is determined entirely by the SSH server.
After the password change
Verify the new credential
Once the shell prompt appears, note that the account is usable in that session. To verify that the new credential works for a future connection, disconnect normally and open a new PuTTY session using the same server, port, and username. Enter the new password, not the temporary one.
Update saved credentials carefully
PuTTY session profiles can save connection settings, but the password-change process should not be treated as a reason to place a password in an unsafe saved field or script. Follow your organization’s credential-storage policy. If another tool, scheduled job, or service uses the old credential, changing the interactive account password may cause that separate process to fail until its stored credential is updated.
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If the account becomes locked, the password expires again, or the server reports a policy you were not given, the administrator is the authority that can explain the account state. Client-side changes cannot correct a server-side lockout, expiration, or access restriction.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the password before opening the SSH connection?
No. In this workflow, the server requests the replacement during the authenticated SSH exchange. PuTTY’s local settings only determine how it connects and which authentication methods it attempts.
Why are no dots or asterisks shown while I type?
PuTTY intentionally does not echo password characters. A blank line at a password prompt is normal and does not mean that keystrokes are being ignored.
Will enabling keyboard-interactive change my existing password?
No. Enabling the option only permits PuTTY to answer interactive requests from the server. A password changes only when the server starts a password-change exchange and accepts the responses.
What if the server asks for an additional question?
Read the prompt carefully and follow the administrator’s instructions. Keyboard-interactive authentication can carry more than one request, and the server—not PuTTY—defines the number, wording, and order of those requests.
How do I know whether the change actually succeeded after a disconnect?
There is no client-side indicator that can settle an interrupted exchange. Reconnect according to the administrator’s recovery instructions or ask the administrator to check the server’s authentication log and account state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the password before opening the SSH connection?
No. The replacement is requested by the SSH server during the authenticated exchange; PuTTY has no local password-change editor for this workflow.
Why are no dots or asterisks shown while I type?
PuTTY does not echo password characters. A blank-looking line is expected.
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Will enabling keyboard-interactive change my existing password?
No. It only allows PuTTY to answer interactive requests. The server changes the password only after accepting the complete exchange.
What if the server asks for an additional question?
Follow the displayed prompt and the administrator’s instructions. Keyboard-interactive authentication can contain multiple server-defined requests.
How do I confirm a change after the connection drops?
Reconnect according to the administrator’s instructions or ask the administrator to verify the account state and server authentication log.
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