> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://gcore.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Convert an SSH key to PPK format SSH keys generated in the Gcore Customer Portal are in OpenSSH format and must be converted to `.ppk` format before using PuTTY to connect to a Gcore Virtual Machine. PuTTYgen handles the conversion. Download and install [PuTTY](https://putty.org) if it's not already installed. PuTTYgen is bundled with the PuTTY package. Open the PuTTYgen application. Click **Load** and select the key file to convert. Windows displays only `.ppk` files by default. To view all file types, select **All files** in the Open file dialog. PuTTYgen app with the Load button highlighted When prompted to confirm the import, click **OK**. PuTTYgen confirmation that the key has been imported Click **Save private key** or **Save public key** to save the converted key to a file. PuTTYgen app with the Save public key and Save private key buttons highlighted