How can I avoid manually specifying my private key file when using PuTTY's pscp command?

Question

I have installed PuTTY and configured public/private key pairs that work nicely from inside PuTTY.

When I use pscp, I find that I have to use the -i *keyfile* option to specify the private key (I have the keys in the C:\users\username\.ssh directory)

I notice that the online examples of pscp that I see don't use the -i option.

Is there a specific directory I need to place the key files in, or is there something similar in concept to the "config" file used in the private key directory on Linux?

I was expecting not to have to manually specify the private key file when using pscp.

Answer 1

PuTTY tools do not look for keys in any fixed location.

All you can do is to save the path to your private key to "Default Settings" in PuTTY GUI. I wouldn't recommend that.

Better is to load your keys to Pageant. The pscp picks them up automatically from there.