diff --git a/base/src/main/kotlin/de/staropensource/engine/base/utility/FileAccess.kt b/base/src/main/kotlin/de/staropensource/engine/base/utility/FileAccess.kt
index dbe1e124a..224b03851 100644
--- a/base/src/main/kotlin/de/staropensource/engine/base/utility/FileAccess.kt
+++ b/base/src/main/kotlin/de/staropensource/engine/base/utility/FileAccess.kt
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ class FileAccess {
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class)
     fun getType(): Type {
-        return if (!exists()) Type.VOID
+        return if (!exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = true)) Type.VOID
         else if (Files.isRegularFile(path)) Type.FILE
         else if (Files.isDirectory(path)) Type.DIRECTORY
         else Type.UNKNOWN
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ class FileAccess {
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class)
     fun createFile(): FileAccess {
-        if (!exists())
+        if (!exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = true))
             try {
                 logger.diag("Creating a file at '${unformatFromPath(path)}'")
                 file.parentFile.mkdirs()
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ class FileAccess {
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class)
     fun createDirectory(): FileAccess {
-        if (!exists())
+        if (!exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = true))
             try {
                 logger.diag("Creating a directory at '${unformatFromPath(path)}'")
                 file.mkdirs()
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ class FileAccess {
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class)
     fun createLink(destination: FileAccess, hard: Boolean): FileAccess {
-        if (!exists())
+        if (!exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = true))
             try {
                 logger.diag("Creating a ${if (hard) "hard" else "symbolic"} link at '${unformatFromPath(path)}'")
                 if (hard) Files.createLink(path, destination.path)
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ class FileAccess {
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class)
     fun delete(): FileAccess {
-        if (exists())
+        if (exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = true))
             try {
                 logger.diag("Deleting '${unformatFromPath(path)}'")
 
@@ -825,12 +825,17 @@ class FileAccess {
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class)
     fun writeBytes(bytes: ByteArray, async: Boolean = false): FileAccess {
         try {
-            if (getType() != Type.FILE)
-                return this
+            when (getType()) {
+                Type.UNKNOWN, Type.DIRECTORY -> return this
+                else -> {}
+            }
 
             logger.diag("Writing to file '${path}' (bytes, ${if (async) "async" else ""})")
             createFile()
-            Files.write(path, bytes, StandardOpenOption.WRITE, if (async) StandardOpenOption.DSYNC else StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
+            if (async)
+                Files.write(path, bytes, StandardOpenOption.WRITE)
+            else
+                Files.write(path, bytes, StandardOpenOption.WRITE, StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
         } catch (exception: Exception) {
             throw IOAccessException("Unable to read file '${path}' (bytes, ${if (async) "async" else ""})", exception)
         }
@@ -855,12 +860,17 @@ class FileAccess {
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class)
     fun writeLines(lines: List<String>, async: Boolean = false): FileAccess {
         try {
-            if (getType() != Type.FILE)
-                return this
+            when (getType()) {
+                Type.UNKNOWN, Type.DIRECTORY -> return this
+                else -> {}
+            }
 
             logger.diag("Writing to file '${path}' (lines, ${if (async) "async" else ""})")
             createFile()
-            Files.write(path, lines, StandardOpenOption.WRITE, if (async) StandardOpenOption.DSYNC else StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
+            if (async)
+                Files.write(path, lines, StandardOpenOption.WRITE)
+            else
+                Files.write(path, lines, StandardOpenOption.WRITE, StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
         } catch (exception: Exception) {
             throw IOAccessException("Unable to read file '${path}' (lines, ${if (async) "async" else ""})", exception)
         }
@@ -885,12 +895,17 @@ class FileAccess {
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class)
     fun writeString(string: String, async: Boolean = false): FileAccess {
         try {
-            if (getType() != Type.FILE)
-                return this
+            when (getType()) {
+                Type.UNKNOWN, Type.DIRECTORY -> return this
+                else -> {}
+            }
 
             logger.diag("Writing to file '${path}' (string, ${if (async) "async" else ""})")
             createFile()
-            Files.writeString(path, string, StandardOpenOption.WRITE, if (async) StandardOpenOption.DSYNC else StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
+            if (async)
+                Files.writeString(path, string, StandardOpenOption.WRITE)
+            else
+                Files.writeString(path, string, StandardOpenOption.WRITE, StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
         } catch (exception: Exception) {
             throw IOAccessException("Unable to read file '${path}' (string, ${if (async) "async" else ""})", exception)
         }
@@ -915,12 +930,17 @@ class FileAccess {
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class)
     fun appendBytes(bytes: ByteArray, async: Boolean = false): FileAccess {
         try {
-            if (getType() != Type.FILE)
-                return this
+            when (getType()) {
+                Type.UNKNOWN, Type.DIRECTORY -> return this
+                else -> {}
+            }
 
             logger.diag("Appending to file '${path}' (bytes, ${if (async) "async" else ""})")
             createFile()
-            Files.write(path, bytes, StandardOpenOption.APPEND, if (async) StandardOpenOption.DSYNC else StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
+            if (async)
+                Files.write(path, bytes, StandardOpenOption.APPEND)
+            else
+                Files.write(path, bytes, StandardOpenOption.APPEND, StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
         } catch (exception: Exception) {
             throw IOAccessException("Unable to read file '${path}' (bytes, ${if (async) "async" else ""})", exception)
         }
@@ -945,12 +965,17 @@ class FileAccess {
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class)
     fun appendLines(lines: List<String>, async: Boolean = false): FileAccess {
         try {
-            if (getType() != Type.FILE)
-                return this
+            when (getType()) {
+                Type.UNKNOWN, Type.DIRECTORY -> return this
+                else -> {}
+            }
 
             logger.diag("Appending to file '${path}' (lines, ${if (async) "async" else ""})")
             createFile()
-            Files.write(path, lines, StandardOpenOption.APPEND, if (async) StandardOpenOption.DSYNC else StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
+            if (async)
+                Files.write(path, lines, StandardOpenOption.APPEND)
+            else
+                Files.write(path, lines, StandardOpenOption.APPEND, StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
         } catch (exception: Exception) {
             throw IOAccessException("Unable to read file '${path}' (lines, ${if (async) "async" else ""})", exception)
         }
@@ -975,12 +1000,17 @@ class FileAccess {
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class)
     fun appendString(string: String, async: Boolean = false): FileAccess {
         try {
-            if (getType() != Type.FILE)
-                return this
+            when (getType()) {
+                Type.UNKNOWN, Type.DIRECTORY -> return this
+                else -> {}
+            }
 
             logger.diag("Appending to file '${path}' (string, ${if (async) "async" else ""})")
             createFile()
-            Files.writeString(path, string, StandardOpenOption.APPEND, if (async) StandardOpenOption.DSYNC else StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
+            if (async)
+                Files.writeString(path, string, StandardOpenOption.APPEND)
+            else
+                Files.writeString(path, string, StandardOpenOption.APPEND, StandardOpenOption.SYNC)
         } catch (exception: Exception) {
             throw IOAccessException("Unable to read file '${path}' (string, ${if (async) "async" else ""})", exception)
         }
@@ -1105,14 +1135,21 @@ class FileAccess {
      * Verifies that something
      * exists at this location.
      *
+     * This method does not follow symbolic links
+     * and instead looks at the file directly. This
+     * method should likely be used to check if
+     * something exists at that exact location.
+     * In case you may need to follow symbolic links,
+     * use [verifyExistsLink] instead.
+     *
      * @return this instance
      * @throws IOAccessException           on IO error
      * @throws VerificationFailedException if the verification fails
      * @since v1-alpha10
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
-    fun verifyExists(noFollowSymbolicLink: Boolean = false): FileAccess {
-        if (!exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = noFollowSymbolicLink))
+    fun verifyExists(): FileAccess {
+        if (!exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = true))
             throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that something exists at '${unformatFromPath(path)}'")
 
         return this
@@ -1122,19 +1159,76 @@ class FileAccess {
      * Verifies that something does
      * not exist at this location.
      *
+     * This method does not follow symbolic links
+     * and instead looks at the file directly. This
+     * method should likely be used to check if
+     * something exists at that exact location.
+     * In case you may need to follow symbolic links,
+     * use [verifyNotExistsLink] instead.
+     *
      * @return this instance
      * @throws IOAccessException           on IO error
      * @throws VerificationFailedException if the verification fails
      * @since v1-alpha10
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
-    fun verifyNotExists(noFollowSymbolicLink: Boolean = false): FileAccess {
-        if (exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = noFollowSymbolicLink))
+    fun verifyNotExists(): FileAccess {
+        if (exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = true))
             throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that nothing exists at '${unformatFromPath(path)}'")
 
         return this
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Verifies that something
+     * exists at this location.
+     *
+     * This method follows symbolic links during
+     * the verification process, which should
+     * only be used to check if you can read/write
+     * from a file. In case you need to verify the
+     * existence of this very file and do not
+     * require following symbolic links, use the
+     * [verifyNotExists] method instead.
+     *
+     * @return this instance
+     * @throws IOAccessException           on IO error
+     * @throws VerificationFailedException if the verification fails
+     * @since v1-alpha10
+     */
+    @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
+    fun verifyExistsLink(): FileAccess {
+        if (!exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = false))
+            throw VerificationFailedException("Expected the link destination of '${unformatFromPath(path)}' is dead")
+
+        return this
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Verifies that something does
+     * not exist at this location.
+     *
+     * This method follows symbolic links during
+     * the verification process, which should
+     * only be used to check if you can read/write
+     * from a file. In case you need to verify the
+     * existence of this very file and do not
+     * require following symbolic links, use the
+     * [verifyExists] method instead.
+     *
+     * @return this instance
+     * @throws IOAccessException           on IO error
+     * @throws VerificationFailedException if the verification fails
+     * @since v1-alpha10
+     */
+    @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
+    fun verifyNotExistsLink(): FileAccess {
+        if (exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = false))
+            throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that the link destination of '${unformatFromPath(path)}' exists")
+
+        return this
+    }
+
     /**
      * Verifies that a file
      * is at this location.
@@ -1214,7 +1308,7 @@ class FileAccess {
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
     fun verifyIsLink(): FileAccess {
-        if (exists() && isSymbolicLink())
+        if (exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = true) && isSymbolicLink())
             throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that '${unformatFromPath(path)}' is a link")
 
         return this
@@ -1231,7 +1325,7 @@ class FileAccess {
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
     fun verifyIsNotLink(): FileAccess {
-        if (exists() && !isSymbolicLink())
+        if (exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = true) && !isSymbolicLink())
             throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that '${unformatFromPath(path)}' is not a link")
 
         return this
@@ -1248,7 +1342,7 @@ class FileAccess {
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
     fun verifyIsValidLink(): FileAccess {
-        if (exists() && (isSymbolicLink() || getLinkDestination() != null))
+        if (exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = true) && (isSymbolicLink() || getLinkDestination() != null))
             throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that '${unformatFromPath(path)}' is a link")
 
         return this
@@ -1265,7 +1359,7 @@ class FileAccess {
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
     fun verifyIsNotValidLink(): FileAccess {
-        if (exists() && !(isSymbolicLink() || getLinkDestination() != null))
+        if (exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = true) && !(isSymbolicLink() || getLinkDestination() != null))
             throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that '${unformatFromPath(path)}' is not a link")
 
         return this
@@ -1387,6 +1481,7 @@ class FileAccess {
         }
 
         override fun visitFile(path: Path, attributes: BasicFileAttributes): FileVisitResult {
+            path.toFile().delete()
             return FileVisitResult.CONTINUE
         }