XML - Invalid At The Top Level Of The Document - Error Processing Resource

what is wrong with the following Xml file?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<root>
<align>right</align>
<columns>3</columns>
<rows>4</rows>
<backgroundColor>#333333</backgroundColor>
<circleButtonColor>#666666</circleButtonColor>
<currentCircleButtonColor>#000000</currentCircleButtonColor>
<textColor>#000000</textColor>
<thumbWidth>100</thumbWidth>
<thumbHeight>75</thumbHeight>
<thumbPadding>10</thumbPadding>
<thumbBorder>3</thumbBorder>
<thumbBorderColor>#0000F1</thumbBorderColor>
<assetWidth>600</assetWidth>
<assetHeight>400</assetHeight>
<showImageCaption>yes</showImageCaption>
<showImageShadow>no</showImageShadow>
<target>_self</target>
</root>

And here is the error Invalid at the top level of the document. Error processing resource [URL]. Line 20, Positi... </root> I am sure i could use a break, but in case i don't, before i upload the specific file, i get no errors at localhost. UPDATE: After checking the Xml (Hex), i noticed that the character 0x00 (NULL) was added magically, after the </root> By saying Magically i mean... The XML file is created normally at localhost. The NULL character is appended by a custom FTP class, (which is used for upload - in binary mode), OR something else that i cannot imagine..