putty 0.61: why do I see "Access Denied" message after I enter my login id?

PuTTY tries several authentication methods in a row, which might cause these messages:

  • GSSAPI (only if your system and the server have it enabled)
  • Public key (only if you have a key loaded)
  • Password

After receiving the "Access denied" message, hold Ctrl and right-click on the PuTTY window, then select Event log. At the bottom you will see what exactly caused the failure.


Update: PuTTY 0.62 fixed the bug where failing GSSAPI authentication caused this error message.