As developers working with server logs through PuTTY, we frequently face the tedious process of manually adjusting font sizes and window dimensions. This becomes particularly frustrating when:

• Switching between different terminal sessions
• Working with verbose log files requiring optimal display space
• Maintaining readability across multiple monitors

PuTTY's configuration system requires explicit saving of both the visual settings and the session parameters. Here's the proper workflow:

1. Launch PuTTY configuration
2. Navigate to Window → Appearance
   - Select 'Change' under Font settings
   - Choose your preferred font (e.g., Consolas 10pt)
3. Adjust window size under Window → Columns/Rows
   - Set Columns: 120
   - Set Rows: 40
4. Critical Step: Return to 'Session' category
   - Select your saved session name
   - Click 'Save' to persist all modifications

For teams standardizing on PuTTY configurations:

1. Configure all visual settings as desired
2. Save to session named "DEFAULT"
3. New sessions will inherit these baseline settings

For power users needing scripted configuration:

# Sample registry export for Consolas 10pt font
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions\MySession]
"Font"="Consolas"
"FontHeight"="10"
"FontCharSet"="0"
"FontQuality"="3"
"FontIsBold"="0"
"TermWidth"="120"
"TermHeight"="40"

If settings don't persist:

• Verify write permissions to PuTTY's registry keys
• Check for multiple PuTTY instances overwriting settings
• Ensure proper session selection before saving

Many sysadmins and developers face the frustration of PuTTY not remembering their preferred font settings and window dimensions between sessions. This becomes particularly annoying when working with log files that require specific terminal configurations for optimal readability.

Here's the complete workflow to make your settings stick:

1. Launch PuTTY and load your saved session
2. Navigate to Window → Appearance:

   Font settings: Consolas, 10-point
   Allow selection of variable-pitch fonts: unchecked

3. Adjust Window → Translation:

   Remote character set: UTF-8
   Handling of line drawing characters: Unicode

4. Set Window → Colours:

   Indicate bolded text by changing: The colour
   Allow terminal to specify ANSI colours: checked

5. Return to the Session category
6. Select your session name in the Saved Sessions list
7. Click "Save" to persist all changes

For power users managing multiple systems, you can export/import registry settings:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions\MySession]
"Font"="Consolas"
"FontHeight"="10"
"FontCharSet"="1"
"FontQuality"="3"
"TermWidth"="120"
"TermHeight"="40"

Create a batch file to launch PuTTY with parameters:

@echo off
set PUTTY_PATH="C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe"
set SESSION_NAME="Production_Server"
set FONT_NAME="Lucida Console"
set FONT_SIZE=10
set WINDOW_WIDTH=132
set WINDOW_HEIGHT=50

%PUTTY_PATH% -load "%SESSION_NAME%" -fn "%FONT_NAME%" -fs %FONT_SIZE% -geometry %WINDOW_WIDTH%x%WINDOW_HEIGHT%

To confirm your settings persisted correctly:

1. Close and reopen PuTTY
2. Load your saved session
3. Check if the font and window size match your configuration
4. If not, repeat the save process and verify registry permissions

• Settings don't persist: Ensure you're saving to the correct session name and have write permissions to HKCU
• Font displays incorrectly: Verify the font is installed system-wide and supports Unicode
• Window size resets: Check for conflicting settings in Window → Behavior