Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-19

How to Fix: Getting "Access Denied" error in putty with a normal user

Putty access denied error with normal user ids on CentOS 5 server.

Quick Answer: Try running Putty as root or using the -p option to specify the port number.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🔍 Why This Happens
  2. 🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes
  3. 🎯 Final Words

The user is experiencing an 'Access Denied' error when attempting to log in with non-root user IDs using Putty on a CentOS 5 server. This issue affects normal users who belong to a developer group, and it's frustrating because the user can successfully login as root.

This problem is particularly vexing because the user has tried changing passwords multiple times without success. The event log from the Putty window provides valuable information about the authentication process.

🔍 Why This Happens

  • The primary reason for this error is that the non-root users do not have sufficient permissions to access the system resources they are trying to use. In CentOS 5, the default permissions for user groups are restrictive, and some operations may require elevated privileges.
  • Another possible cause could be a misconfiguration of the group permissions or a lack of access control lists (ACLs) that restrict certain actions for non-root users.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Granting Additional Permissions to Non-Root Users

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Identify the user IDs and groups affected by this issue. Use the `groups` command to list the groups a specific user belongs to, and verify that they have the necessary permissions.
  2. Step 2: Step 2: Check the file system permissions using the `ls -l` command to ensure that the non-root users have read, write, and execute access to the files and directories they need to access.
  3. Step 3: Step 3: Adjust the group permissions as needed. Use the `chgrp` command to change the group ownership of specific files or directories, and apply additional permissions using the `chmod` command.

Enabling SSH Keys for Non-Root Users

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Generate an SSH key pair for each non-root user. Use a tool like PuTTYgen to create a new key pair, and save the private key in a secure location.
  2. Step 2: Step 2: Add the public key of the non-root user to the authorized_keys file on the CentOS 5 server. The `authorized_keys` file is typically located in the `/home/username/.ssh/` directory.

🎯 Final Words

To resolve this issue, grant additional permissions to non-root users or enable SSH keys for them. This will allow them to access system resources without encountering an 'Access Denied' error when using Putty.

Did this fix your problem?

If not, try searching for specific error codes.

🔍 Search Error Database

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

🛠️ Related Fixes

How to Fix: Pc crashes shortly after launching game (rainbow

Fix Pc crashes shortly after launching game (rainbow six siege). Compl

How to Fix: Installing an APK on a locked down phone

Installing an APK on a locked down phone: Try using a rooted device, e

How to Fix: New PC build- no signal and no clue

Fix New PC build- no signal and no clue. Complete troubleshooting guid