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This error message is a little odd. It actually means that your host is reporting the wrong filesystem path to your site. It tells your site that the path to the site's root is / (the filesystem root) which is, of course, wrong. I've seen that problem again and it was a problem with the host's setup. Even if you try installing a fresh Joomla! installation (new, blank site) you will receive the same problem. Do you have any other Joomla! 1.7 site on that host?

There is an easy way to see if the problem is with the host or with the site. Try restoring it on a local host. Instructions for setting up a local host can be found at https://www.akeebabackup.com/documentation/quick-start-guide/restoring-backups.html#preparing-a-local-server

Before doing that, you may want to try renaming the .htaccess file on the root of your site and/or any php.ini file you may have in your site's root in your administrator directory. These files can contain directives which cause the server to report the wrong path to Joomla! and trigger this problem.

Since your site did restore correctly to a different host I think that my original hunch was correct: you have a host issue. This means that your site will not work on gandi.net but it will work on the other hosting provider you developed it on and the one you last tried to restore it (and it worked).

Not being able to log in to the back-end after restoration is a very common mistake with Joomla! 1.6/1.7 and later versions. What you probably not remember is that you modified the cookie setup parameters in your site's Global Configuration page. The thing is, if you modify the cookie domain name and/or path, it's very likely that you will no longer be able to log in to your site if the domain name, subdomain or directory changes - exactly what happens when you restore a site to anywhere except its original location! Luckily, the workaround is very simple.

Please edit the configuration.php file in the root of your site and find the lines starting with public $cookie_domain and public $cookie_path. Modify them so that they read:

public $cookie_domain = '';
public $cookie_path = '';

Note: Instead of public it may read var, but it's the same thing.

Also, check the live_set parameter on the same file. Normally, it should read something like

public $live_site='';

or

public $live_site='http://www.example.com';

where www.example.com is your domain name (with www –if you're using www in your login URL– but without a slash at the end!). I suggest trying an empty live_site parameter first, i.e.

public $live_site='';

Save the file, clear your browser's cookies and cache, quit and restart your browser and try logging in to your site. You should be able to login without any problem now.

Another thing that you should be aware of is that the same problem could be caused by your .htaccess file. It's always a good idea to at least temporarily rename .htaccess to something else (e.g. htaccess.bak) when you're trying to troubleshoot a login issue. A .htaccess file may define redirections which get in the way during login.

Even though this sounds like an issue with a third party plugin and not anything I have written, I may still be able to help you. I will need you to send me a Personal Message with the following information:
- The URL of this thread so that I know what you're talking about
- The URL to your site's administrator page (for the RESTORED site)
- FTP connection information for the restored site
- Super Administrator username and password
so that I can take a look.

Thank you for your PM and the FTP access! I was able to verify what I fear. Joomla! can not work on the root of your site. It can only work in subdirectory.

You don't have to believe me. Try to install a fresh copy of Joomla! 1.7.3 on your site's root. As you will see, it will fail miserably. Akeeba Backup simply has nothing to do with this issue which is caused by Joomla!'s core code.

Technical explanation: your host makes the domain's root appear as the filesystem root, i.e. an empty string. However, Joomla!'s internal path checker (JPath::clean) can not work under these circumstances. In fact, when called to operate under such an environment, it thinks that you are a hacker trying to snoop outside the site's root. When you are developing your site in a subdirectory Joomla! has no problem, because the site's root is a non-empty string equal to the name of your subdirectory.

What I can do: I will try to find some time to submit a bug report and a patch to the Joomla! Platform project. Don't hold your breath, though, the solution –if accepted– may not even make it to Joomla! 2.5, given the very tight schedule. By the way, that issue was a nice catch! Too bad it means that your site doesn't work on the root of your domain. If someone else had reported that on the Joomla! forum the last 11 months this bug exists, we (I mean, the community of Joomla! developers) would have solved it much earlier. Well, better late than never.

What you can do: There are to alternatives.

1. Install your site in a subdirectory. This is the quick'n'dirty approach. Install the site in a subdirectory and simply create a .htaccess or a landing page on the domain's root.

2. Use a different hosting provider (recommended). I would suggest using a Joomla!-optimised host like iRedHost, CloudAccess.net or Rochen.

The only good news is that I made the pull request to the Joomla! Platform and it was accepted, so at least Joomla! 2.5 should have this fixed. Meanwhile, you only have the two choices I mentioned :(