Here's the way to do it using Microsoft's tooling, avoiding the problem from the get-go. But it should also fix the issue, meaning you can follow these instructions with existing keys. Start PowerShell/Terminal as Administrator and run the following: Install-Module -Force OpenSSHUtils -Scope AllUsers # Make sure the service isn't disabled Get-Service -Name ssh-agent | Set-Service -StartupType Manual # We need this service as ssh-add depends on it Start-Service ssh-agent cat ~\.ssh\example-key.ecdsa | ssh-add -k -