WinSCP Sites storage is empty, the configuration are stored to registry or in INI file
WinSCP stores targets with the connection data under Sites, in using Windows ftp and scp connections, if all entries to the sites have disappeared after an update, there is no reason to panic. The sites can be restored easily and quickly, how to proceed is shown in this post.
WinSCP for ftp and scp connections in Windows
After a software update of WinSCP was performed, and the sites configuration were stored in the registry. Which was the default in the earlier versions. It may happen that after an update of WinSCP, the setting was changed to INI. So we just need to change the setting back to Registry.
WinSCP Preferences
The setting from WinSCP.ini to Windows registry can be changed by clicking the Tools button, if the Login Session window is not open, press the keys Ctrl+N then the Tools button.
Choose Preferences Configuration storage
Under Preferences go to Storage and in the Configuration storage area, enable with click on Windows registry.
Tools – Preferences – Storage – Configuration storage: Windows registry.
After exiting WinsCP and running again, the targets reappear in the Site Manager Ctrl+N window.
WinSCP Configuration in Registry
If the registry is used as configuration store, the configuration is saved under the following key.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Martin Prikryl\WinSCP 2]
WinSCP Configuration in INI-File
When loading configuration, WinSCP first looks for an INI file in the directory, where WinSCP executable is stored in. The INI file needs to have an .ini extension and the same name as the executable (i.e. WinSCP.ini). If INI file in not found there, WinSCP looks to application data directory of your user profile, i.e. to C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\WinSCP.ini.
When you use INI file for the first time, WinSCP tries to write it to directory, where WinSCP executable is stored. If the directory is not writable, INI file is stored to application data directory of your user profile.
WinSCP Transferring Configuration
The created destinations (sites) with the connection data are copied into the WinSCP.ini file with the change from Windows registry to Automatic INI file. If the sites were previously saved in the registry. To make the sites for WinSCP available on another computer, the sites with the connection data are transferred under Tools with Export/Backup Configuration and Import/Restore Configuration.
