# Backup with symlinks and backup local path bug

**Project:** Bugs | **Board:** Under review | **Votes:** 5
**URL:** https://roadmap.ploi.io/projects/7-bugs/items/953-backup-with-symlinks-and-backup-local-path-bug

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I am trying to create a new backup for my website (statamic) assets, but I'm running into two problems:

**1. Backup with symlink is not working.**

The assets are in a mounted volume which is symlinked to from the webdirectory, and contains multiple subfolders. The assets folder is `/home/ploi/{domain}/public/volume`, which is symlinked to `/mnt/volume/{domain}/`. What I have tried so far for my path to backup:

`/home/ploi/{domain}/public/volume` → zip is created with actual symlink (only ~250 bytes) instead of content, and uploaded to storage server

`/home/ploi/{domain}/public/volume/` → zip is created with content, but not uploaded to the storage server

`/mnt/volume/{domain}` → error: The path must start with "/home/ploi/{domain}”


**2. The local path must start with "/”**

The local path (on the storage server) needs to start with a “/” but that doesn’t work.

Whatever I try, I get the following error in the log and the zip is put in the home folder: cd: Access failed: No such file (/ploi-backups/storage/{domain})

For my other back-ups, I have `storage/{domain}` without the slash in front, which is working but for some reason for the new back-up I can not save without that slash.

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## Comments

**Super Interactive** (2024-07-24T15:17:26+00:00):
Not exactly the same, but similar issue here. When the backup directory contains a symlink, a `zip warning: No such file or directory ` error shows in the log, and the backup always fails.

**Jelle** (2025-01-13T11:13:41+00:00):
I'd love to be able to save backups somewhere else as well. Basically not having the `The path must start with "/home/ploi/{domain}”` message pop up. I get that the specified path should be accessible to the user making the backup. Maybe we can just remove the validation rule and give a clear error message when the backup fails though to file permissions?