Troubleshoot SFTP server connection issues

Last updated on 19 July 2022

Learn how to troubleshoot SFTP server connection issues in Dreamweaver.

Be it old protocols configured within SFTP servers or other error messages, troubleshoot your SFTP connection issues using these workarounds.

Troubleshoot deprecated protocols

If your server is configured with deprecated OpenSSH protocols, re-enable legacy RSA/SHA1 in the Dreamweaver config file as a workaround to establish the connection. Follow the steps below:

Error message shown in the app for macOS — Error message for macOS

Close the Dreamweaver application.
Launch Finder > Invoke Go menu > Select Go to Folder…
In Go to the folder popup, type:

/Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/
Search the Adobe Dreamweaver 2021 Prefs file and open it in any text editor.
Find use sftp legacy algorithms from config file and set it to TRUE.
Save and close the file.

Error message for Windows in the app — Error message for Windows

Close the Dreamweaver application.
Type RegEdit in the Windows search bar to run Registry Editor app.
In the left pane of the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Dreamweaver 2021\Site Preferences
Find Use SFTP Legacy Algorithms From Config File and set it to TRUE.
Close RegEdit.

The solution mentioned above is a stopgap measure until legacy implementations are upgraded or reconfigured with compatible key types. Write to your hosting providers or server admins and request an upgrade to supported algorithms compatible with OpenSSH version 8.8.

If the issue persists, do the following to make necessary changes in the config file:

Dreamweaver is enabling the recommended RSA/SHA1 algorithm, as suggested by OpenSSH. Adobe is not responsible for any changes made by the user to customize the settings in the SFTP config file.

Go to the location below to refer to SFTPError.log and get detailed information on the issues:

macOS: /Users/<username>/Library/Application\ Support/Adobe/Dreamweaver 2021/<locale>/Configuration/SFTP/

Windows: %appdata%\Adobe\Dreamweaver 2021\<locale>\Configuration\SFTP\

If an error is related to any mismatch of algorithms, add a server-supported algorithm(as mentioned in the error log) to the config file (within the SFTP folder mentioned in step 1). For example:

Error	Resolution
Unable to negotiate with <IP> port <port no>: no matching key exchange method found. Their offer: diffie-hellman-group14-sha1, diffie-hellman-group1-sha1	Add any of the below algorithms to the config file: KexAlgorithms +diffie-hellman-group1-sha1 or KexAlgorithms +diffie-hellman-group14-sha1
Support for ssh-dss (DSA) host and public key algorithms are no longer supported by default. If you are currently using the DSA host or keys, re-enable them by adding the following to SFTP config.	HostkeyAlgorithms +ssh-rsa,ssh-dss PubkeyAcceptedAlgorithms +ssh-rsa,ssh-dss

Troubleshoot SFTP error message

If you see the following error message: "Failed to read the contents of XML Resource: IDD_SSH_KEY_CHANGE_DIALOG", follow the steps below as a workaround:

Close the Dreamweaver application.
Navigate to the following location:
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Dreamweaver xxxx/en_US/Configuration
- Windows: C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Dreamweaver xxxx\en_US\Configuration
xxxx is the version of Dreamweaver. If you are using Dreamweaver 2021 running on Windows, then your folder location reads:

C:\Users\[User name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Dreamweaver 2021\en_US\Configuration
Right-click the ssh_hosts file, and rename the file. For example, ssh_hosts_old.
Relaunch Dreamweaver and connect to your SFTP server.

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