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+// $Id$
+
+The files directory is the default file system path used to store
+all uploaded files, as well as some temporary files created by Drupal. To
+successfully install Drupal, the files directory must exist and be
+writable by the web server process.
+
+After installation, the settings for the file system path may be modified
+to store uploaded files in a different location. Ensure that this new
+location exists, is accessible, and is writable by the web server process.
+The file system path settings can be accessed by selecting these menu items
+from the Navigation menu:
+
+  administer > site configuration > file system
+
+You may wish to modify the file system path if:
+
+  * your site runs multiple Drupal installations from a single codebase
+    (modify the file system path of each installation to a different
+    directory so that uploads do not overlap between installations);
+
+  * your site runs a number of web server front-ends behind a load
+    balancer or reverse proxy (modify the file system path on each
+    server to point to a shared file repository); or,
+
+  * your site policies specify that all site-related files are stored
+    under the sites directory in order to simplify backup and restore
+    operations (modify the file system path to point to a newly-created
+    directory underneath sites).
+
+Changing the file system path after files have been uploaded may cause
+unexpected problems on an existing site. If you modify the file system path
+on an existing site, remember to copy all files from the original location
+to the new location.