Forward X11 failed: Network error: Connection refused

Other answers are outdated, or incomplete, or simply don't work.

You need to also specify an X-11 server on the host machine to handle the launch of GUId programs. If the client is a Windows machine install Xming. If the client is a Linux machine install XQuartz.

Now suppose this is Windows connecting to Linux. In order to be able to launch X11 programs as well over putty do the following:

- Launch XMing on Windows client
- Launch Putty
    * Fill in basic options as you know in session category
    * Connection -> SSH -> X11
        -> Enable X11 forwarding
        -> X display location = :0.0
        -> MIT-Magic-Cookie-1
        -> X authority file for local display = point to the Xming.exe executable

Of course the ssh server should have permitted Desktop Sharing "Allow other user to view your desktop".

MobaXterm and other complete remote desktop programs work too.

PuTTY can't find where your X server is, because you didn't tell it. (ssh on Linux doesn't have this problem because it runs under X so it just uses that one.) Fill in the blank box after "X display location" with your Xming server's address.

Alternatively, try MobaXterm. It has an X server builtin.