SWS SecureDesk – User Guide

SWS SecureDesk is a Windows desktop app from ShoryNow Web Services (SWS). It brings secure SSH access, an encrypted key vault, port tunnels and Remote Desktop together in one place.

Version 100.42.0 · Windows 10 (1809+) / Windows 11, 64-bit · sws.shorynow.com

1. Highlights

2. System requirements

• Windows 10 version 1809 or later, or Windows 11 (64-bit)
• About 200 MB of free disk space
• No .NET install needed, because the runtime is included
• For SSH: a Linux server with OpenSSH and your public key in ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
• For Remote Desktop: a Windows PC/server with Remote Desktop enabled, or a Linux server with xrdp (SecureDesk can install it for you)

3. Installation

1. Download SWS-SecureDesk-Setup-100.42.0.exe from sws.shorynow.com.
2. Double-click the file. If Windows SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info → Run anyway. (You will only see this until the installer is code-signed.)
3. Choose Install for all users (needs administrator rights) or Install for me only.
4. Read the License Agreement, select I accept the agreement, and click Next.
5. Choose the options you want:
   • Create a desktop shortcut
   • Open .scbackup backup files with SWS SecureDesk
6. Click Install, then Finish to start the app.

Where it is installed:

Silent install (for IT teams):

SWS-SecureDesk-Setup-100.42.0.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART

4. First start and Terms & Conditions

The first time you start SWS SecureDesk, the Welcome window shows the Terms & Conditions.

1. Read the terms. The Third-party notices tab lists the open-source components used.
2. Tick I have read and accept the Terms & Conditions.
3. Click Accept and continue.

If you click Decline or close the window, the app exits and nothing is changed. You can read the terms again at any time under Help → Terms & Conditions, and you can save a copy with Save a copy….

If you used an earlier test build (called SecureConnect), your saved data is moved to the new SWS SecureDesk folder automatically the first time you start the app.

5. Tour of the window

6. SSH servers

6.1 Add a server

1. Open the SSH workspace and click + New server (Ctrl+N).
2. Fill in:
   • Name, for example Production web
   • Host / IP, for example 187.126.2.29 or server.example.com
   • Port, for example 22 or 9899
   • Username, for example root or ubuntu
3. Add your private key:
   • Browse key file… and pick the private key (for example id_ed25519, not the .pub file), or
   • copy the key text and click Paste key. The clipboard is cleared afterwards.
4. If the key has a passphrase, type it. Tick Remember passphrase to store it encrypted.
5. Click Save server (Ctrl+S).

After you save, the key is stored only in the encrypted vault, so you can move or delete the original key file.

6.2 Test and connect

• Test port checks that the host can be reached and that an SSH server answers. It shows the latency and the SSH banner.
• Connect logs in with your key. The first time, the server's host key fingerprint (SHA256) is saved. On later connections it is checked. If it ever changes, SecureDesk warns you before connecting (this can mean a server rebuild or a man-in-the-middle attack).
• Disconnect closes the session and all of its tunnels.

The sidebar shows ● connected · N tunnels for each active server. You can connect as many servers as you like at the same time.

6.3 Edit, duplicate and delete

Use Edit on the summary card, or the ⋯ menu → Edit / Duplicate / Delete. Duplicate copies a server with its key and tunnels, which is handy for similar machines.

7. Terminal and quick commands

The Terminal tab runs commands on the selected server.

• Type a command and press Enter, or click Run. Use ↑ / ↓ to go through your command history.
• ■ Stop cancels a running command. Commands time out after 60 seconds and never wait for keyboard input.
• Quick commands: System info, Disk, Memory, Top processes, Listening ports, Docker ps, Failed services.
• Copy copies the output and Clear clears it. Each connected server keeps its own output.

The terminal runs one command at a time (it is not an interactive shell). Full-screen programs such as top -i, nano or vim are not supported. Use top -b -n 1 instead.

8. Tunnels: port, SOCKS and RDP

Open the Tunnels & RDP tab of a connected server. Tunnels are saved with the server, and you can set them to start automatically (Auto) when you connect.

Add a tunnel: choose the type, then enter a name, local port, remote host and remote port, and click + Add tunnel.

Each tunnel row has: Start/Stop, Open (browser or Remote Desktop), Windows RDP, Copy (address) and ✕ (delete). Use Start all / Stop all for every tunnel at once.

Discover server ports lists every listening service and Docker container port on the server. Click Forward to create a tunnel in one step.

Tunnels listen on 127.0.0.1 only, so other computers on your network cannot use them.

9. Remote Desktop for a Linux server (through SSH)

SecureDesk can turn an Ubuntu/Debian server into a graphical desktop that you reach through the SSH tunnel. Port 3389 does not need to be open on the internet for this.

1. Connect to the server as root (or as a user with password-less sudo).
2. In Tunnels & RDP, click Set up Remote Desktop…
3. Enter a desktop username and password (this is a separate Linux user, not root).
4. Keep Install XFCE desktop + xrdp if missing ticked. The first install takes about 5–15 minutes, and you can watch the progress.
5. When it finishes, SecureDesk creates an RDP tunnel and offers to open it.

What the setup does on the server: it installs xfce4, xrdp and dbus-x11, creates the user, sets XFCE as the session, and applies settings for stable, fast sessions (24-bit color, no compositor). It also allows a new session even when the user is already logged in.

10. Remote Desktop workspace (direct RDP)

The RDP workspace stores Remote Desktop connections that do not need SSH: Windows PCs and servers, or Linux servers with xrdp open to the network.

10.1 Add a desktop

1. Click RDP in the rail, then + New desktop (Ctrl+R).
2. Enter a Name, Host / IP, Port (default 3389), the Type (Windows or Linux (xrdp)), the Username and the Password (saved encrypted).
3. Click Save.

10.2 Connect

• Connect opens the built-in viewer (see section 11).
• Windows RDP opens the standard Windows Remote Desktop app (mstsc) with your saved login. The password is passed securely and removed again after a few seconds.
• Test port checks that the desktop can be reached.

The details page shows a status pill, Open sessions (with Show and Disconnect), the last connection time and the security mode. You can open several sessions of the same or different desktops at once.

11. The built-in Remote Desktop viewer

Tip for long distances: if the server is far away (for example, another continent), pick Fast quality. Speed depends mostly on network latency, not on the server's power.

12. Backup, export and import

Use backups to move your setup to a new PC or to share servers with a teammate.

Export

• SSH: File → Export SSH servers & keys… (Ctrl+E), or Export… in the SSH sidebar.
• Remote Desktops: File → Export Remote Desktops…, or Export… in the RDP sidebar.

1. Choose the items to export (Select all / None).
2. Choose whether to include saved passphrases or passwords.
3. Set a strong backup password (12+ characters, with at least 3 of: lowercase, UPPERCASE, digit, symbol) and confirm it.
4. Save the .scbackup file.

Import

• File → Import backup (SSH + RDP)… (Ctrl+I), or double-click a .scbackup file in Explorer.
• Enter the backup password. Tick Overwrite to replace entries that already exist (same host, port and user).

How backups are protected: AES-256-GCM encryption, with the key derived from your password using PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 (600,000 iterations, 256-bit random salt). The file header is authenticated, and every export is test-decrypted before it is saved. A wrong password or an altered file is rejected.

Keep the backup password safe. SWS cannot recover it. Anyone with the file and the password can read the servers and keys inside.

13. Themes and personalization

• Switch between Dark and Light with the theme button in the rail, or File → Theme. The title bar follows the theme as well.
• Your choice, viewer quality and window behavior are remembered.

14. Security and privacy

Recommended server hardening:

# allow SSH on your port, allow RDP only from your own IP, enable the firewall
ufw allow 9899/tcp
ufw allow from YOUR_PUBLIC_IP to any port 3389 proto tcp
ufw --force enable

Prefer RDP through the SSH tunnel (section 9). Then port 3389 does not need to be public at all.

15. Keyboard shortcuts

16. Troubleshooting

17. FAQ

Can I delete my key file after adding a server? Yes. After Save server, the key lives only in the encrypted vault.

Can I use it on another PC? Yes. Export a backup, copy it, and import it on the other PC. The data is re-encrypted for the new Windows account.

Can several people share servers? Yes. Export the selected servers or desktops with a password and give your teammate the file and the password through separate channels.

Does it work without SSH? Yes. The RDP workspace connects directly to Windows or Linux desktops.

Does SWS see my passwords or keys? No. Everything stays encrypted on your computer.

Which Linux distributions can use "Set up Remote Desktop"? Ubuntu and Debian (apt-based). Other distributions can use xrdp you install yourself.

18. Update and uninstall

• Update: run the newer SWS-SecureDesk-Setup-x.y.z.exe. It upgrades in place and keeps your data. Close the app first, or the installer will ask you to.
• Uninstall: go to Settings → Apps → SWS SecureDesk → Uninstall. Your encrypted data in %AppData%\SWSSecureDesk is kept. Delete that folder if you no longer need it.

19. Legal

• Terms & Conditions: Help → Terms & Conditions in the app, or Terms-and-Conditions.txt in the installation folder.
• Third-party software: Help → Third-party notices.
• Windows and Remote Desktop are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. SWS SecureDesk is not affiliated with Microsoft.

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