How to Download a File from a Remote Server to a Windows PC Using pscp (PuTTY Secure Copy)

Downloading Files from a Remote Server to a Windows PC Using SCP

If you need to transfer a file from a remote server to your Windows PC using the SCP (Secure Copy) command, you must first have an SSH client installed on your Windows computer. One of the commonly used SSH clients for Windows is PuTTY, which comes with the pscp (PuTTY Secure Copy) utility for secure file transfers.

Here are the step-by-step instructions for downloading a file from a remote server to your Windows PC using pscp:

1. Download and Install PuTTY:

If you don't already have PuTTY installed, you can obtain it from the official website. Follow these steps:

a. Go to the PuTTY Download Page. b. Download the PuTTY installer suitable for your system.

During the installation process, make sure to select the option to install all the utilities, including pscp.

1. Open a Command Prompt:

To open a Command Prompt window, press Win + R, type "cmd," and then press Enter.

1. Execute the pscp Command:

Use the pscp command to retrieve the file from the remote server. The basic command syntax is as follows:

pscp username@remote_server:/path/to/remote/file C:\path\to\local\destination

Make sure to replace the placeholders with your specific information:

• Replace "username" with the username of your remote server account.

• Replace "remote_server" with the IP address or hostname of the remote server.

• Replace "/path/to/remote/file" with the path to the file on the remote server.

• Replace "C:\path\to\local\destination" with the local path where you want to store the downloaded file on your Windows PC.

For example:

pscp root@192.168.1.100:/path/to/backup/psms.sql C:\Users\YourUsername\Downloads\psms_backup.sql

1. Enter Your Password:

Once you execute the pscp command, it will prompt you for the password of the remote user account (unless you're using key-based authentication). Enter the correct password to initiate the secure file transfer.

The pscp command will securely copy the file from the remote server to your Windows PC. Make sure you have the necessary permissions and access rights to read the remote file and write to the local destination directory.

Be sure to replace the placeholders in the command with your specific details, ensuring that you use the correct paths and filenames.