# File manager not archiving properly **URL:** \ **Category:** Virtualmin\ **Created:** [January 23, 2020, 6:07am UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266 "2020-01-23T06:07:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vipul.K](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Vipul.K](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/Vipul.K)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2020, 6:07am UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/1 "2020-01-23T06:07:46Z")
I’m facing an issue with one of my domains. In the file manager, I selected all files (across multiple pages) and archived into a tar.gz file. The file was around 200MB but when I downloaded it, it was corrupt and the website did not load properly on the local computer. I then created an archive via my FTP manager and that came out to be around 300MB. This file extracts properly and website loads too. It seems there’s some issue with the utility that creates archives in the file manager. Can someone help me troubleshoot the issue? Or is it a bug? ---
**Author:** ![Ilia](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/user_avatar/forum.virtualmin.com/ilia/32/10185_2.png) [@Ilia](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/Ilia)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2020, 10:25am UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/2 "2020-01-23T10:25:37Z")
> [@Vipul.K](#): > > It seems there’s some issue with the utility that creates archives in the file manager. Unless you don’t have Webmin running behind proxy and connection timed out, it shouldn’t be an issue. Do you run Webmin in this example, as master administrator or as server-owner? Are you trying to do it on the root directory (in case of a server-owner) or on some sub-directories? When you’re trying to select all files across multiple pages, are those files/directories have symlinks in it that are not followed, maybe? The simple workaround would be to go directory up and download single directory as an archive - would that work for you? ---
**Author:** ![unborn](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/user_avatar/forum.virtualmin.com/unborn/32/23353_2.png) [@unborn](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/unborn)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/3 "2020-01-23T17:46:30Z")
this is not an solution but do try this… ssh into server and do your tar.gz or perhaps zip command via terminal and then do it via file manager and see… - I use only terminal so you would have to compare it by your own… be my guest and let us know 🙂 I bet virtualmin file manager does same job as terminal - those folks does not create joke code / products… I believe in them. - anyway good luck ---
**Author:** ![Vipul.K](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Vipul.K](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/Vipul.K)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 7:59am UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/4 "2020-01-25T07:59:04Z")
> [@Ilia](#): > > Unless you don’t have Webmin running behind proxy and connection timed out, it shouldn’t be an issue. I’m not using proxy. > [@Ilia](#): > > Do you run Webmin in this example, as master administrator or as server-owner? Are you trying to do it on the root directory (in case of a server-owner) or on some sub-directories? As server owner, I login with username ‘root’. I’m trying to archive all files inside a public\_html folder. > [@Ilia](#): > > When you’re trying to select all files across multiple pages, are those files/directories have symlinks in it that are not followed, maybe? I’m not sure what that means? > [@Ilia](#): > > The simple workaround would be to go directory up and download single directory as an archive - would that work for you? It would’ve worked if it worked. The file came out to be 160MB (Should’ve been over 340). Also, selecting all files and creating archive inside the public\_html folder is giving me a 0 bytes archive. It also doesn’t take very long (2-3 seconds). > [@unborn](#): > > ssh into server and do your tar.gz or perhaps zip command via terminal and then do it via file manager and see I tried that using comman `tar -czf test2.tar.gz public_html/` and file came out to be 340MB same as what I get with FTP. I tried creating archives on other domains that have fewer files and fits on one page, then the archives created are fine. So there’s something going on with the file manager. Any logs you’d like to see? ---
**Author:** ![Ilia](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/user_avatar/forum.virtualmin.com/ilia/32/10185_2.png) [@Ilia](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/Ilia)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 8:24am UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/5 "2020-01-25T08:24:22Z")
> [@Vipul.K](#): > > It would’ve worked if it worked. The file came out to be 160MB (Should’ve been over 340). 🙂 It doesn’t have to be the same size. If this is the only criteria you’re relying on, then it’s wrong. Check actual files. > As server owner, I login with username ‘root’. I’m trying to archive all files inside a public\_html folder. As **root** you would have logged in as _Master Admin_. Please, show me what you’re doing with a screenshot. ---
**Author:** ![Vipul.K](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Vipul.K](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/Vipul.K)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 4:03am UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/6 "2020-01-26T04:03:28Z")
> [@Ilia](#): > > It doesn’t have to be the same size. If this is the only criteria you’re relying on, then it’s wrong. Check actual files. Sure it is. Whatever software/utility you use to create an archive, all of them would be of similar size. They might be ± 2MB but one software is not that efficient that it makes an archive of half the size from the same set of files. Besides, I already told you, the zip can not be extracted, its corrupt. I created the archive again and made a recording of it. Sometimes it makes 160MB file and sometimes its 0 bytes. [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sY0V3Md42AYXdsp\_-0NjNf4TN9mgBRhD/view](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sY0V3Md42AYXdsp_-0NjNf4TN9mgBRhD/view) ---
**Author:** ![Ilia](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/user_avatar/forum.virtualmin.com/ilia/32/10185_2.png) [@Ilia](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/Ilia)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 1:11pm UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/7 "2020-01-26T13:11:28Z")
Ohh. 😃 That’s how you’re using it! I will take a look but I never expected it to be used this way! Just after selecting files across 4 pages, right click on the table row and click Download from context menu. Does it work then?? **Example:** ![image](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/uploads/default/original/1X/fd90147f6e79fda4568c2d1f96afcb628ddec53e.png) ---
**Author:** ![Vipul.K](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Vipul.K](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/Vipul.K)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 2:28pm UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/8 "2020-01-26T14:28:05Z")
Your method worked well. The archive downloaded and extracted properly with all the files. I’ll be downloading files this way now. Do take a look at that archive function. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Ilia](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/user_avatar/forum.virtualmin.com/ilia/32/10185_2.png) [@Ilia](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/Ilia)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/9 "2020-01-28T19:35:02Z")
> [@Vipul.K](#): > > I’m facing an issue with one of my domains. In the file manager, I selected all files (across multiple pages) and archived into a tar.gz file. Okay, how many files were there in the directory? Did you have server pagination on or off? You can check that by looking at the string below path breadcrumb. Was it written **Total:** or **Paginated:** for you? How many files and directories were there? ![image](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/uploads/default/original/1X/b5f0adf9fe53fa222f722416d59307b1e0444d0f.png) It just works for me in my test cases. ---
**Author:** ![Ilia](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/user_avatar/forum.virtualmin.com/ilia/32/10185_2.png) [@Ilia](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/Ilia)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/10 "2020-01-28T21:28:47Z")
> [@Ilia](#): > > Did you have server pagination on or off? You can check that by looking at the string below path breadcrumb. @Vipul.K Duh. You already shared video-screencast. Sorry, too tired. I will try to reproduce it over again tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Ilia](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/user_avatar/forum.virtualmin.com/ilia/32/10185_2.png) [@Ilia](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/Ilia)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 11:25am UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/11 "2020-01-29T11:25:47Z")
> [@Vipul.K](#): > > Do take a look at that archive function. Do you have it happening when choosing _ **.zip** _ as an option? ---
**Author:** ![Vipul.K](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Vipul.K](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/Vipul.K)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2020, 5:14am UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/12 "2020-01-31T05:14:21Z")
When I select zip option it says something like zip can’t be used when selecting files across multiple pages. However when I go up a folder and zip the entire public\_html, it works fine. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://cdn.forum.virtualmin.com/uploads/default/original/2X/c/cd96d761e326db4b2bef94886a639109bd7a8e76.svg) [@system](https://forum.virtualmin.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 6:12am UTC](https://forum.virtualmin.com/t/file-manager-not-archiving-properly/104266/13 "2020-04-30T06:12:25Z")
Closed on April 30, 2020, 6:12am UTC