uploading files outside the root folder

[eluser]ebuoe[/eluser]
hello everyone ... below is a sample of code i use for uploading images to a gallery in my application ... just for improved secirity i decided that i should upload the files to another folder outside my root directory ... anoda folder in my www .... i specified the full file path to the directory where it should uploaad to but that is where the error started .... it did not work ... would appreciate it if sum1 helped me with this

Code:

if($this->form_validation->run()==FALSE)
         {
          $this->load->view("c_user/gallery_drawing",$data);
         }
         else
         {
  
  
         /*the directory for uploading the drawing file*/
              $dir = "./gallery/safe/";
//(for uploading out side the root folder i specified this path http://folder_outside_root_folder/gallery/safe)
    
        
              /*preparing the config settings for upload */
              
        /*renamin the file with random encryptions*/      
    
        $rand_num2=mt_rand(1,1000000);
        $rand_num3=sha1(mt_rand(1,1000000));
        $new_name=$rand_num2.$user_name.$rand_num3;
        
              $config['file_name'] = $new_name; // the new file name the image should have
              $config['upload_path'] = $dir; // the directory the image should go to,already specified
              $config['allowed_types'] = 'gif|jpg|png'; // the file types that are allowed
              $config['max_size']    = '10000'; //the maximum image size
              $config['max_width']  = '0'; //the maximum image width
              $config['max_height']  = '0'; // the maximum image height

              $this->load->library('upload', $config); // retrieving the upload library with the specified settings

              /*using the do upload settings upload the file if it fails stop upload and show errors*/
          if(! $this->upload->do_upload("drawing_file"))
          {
          
          $data["msg"] = $this->upload->display_errors();;
          $this->load->view("c_user/i_craft_user_gallery_drawing",$data);
          }