David Biddix
Level 1 (58 points)
Apple Music

Q: Help Me Stop iCloud Sync in Mac OS Sierra!

I upgraded to macOS Sierra 2 days ago. During the installation process, I selected "Use iCloud Drive" since i had been using it with El Capitan on my MacBook Pro. The installation completed, and I started opening my apps to see what had broken in the install process. I also decided that I did NOT want to use the new Sierra feature that synced documents to iCloud and removed older ones to save space. I opened System Preferences and deselected Optimize Mac Storage in the iCloud preferences, but I DID check the Documents and Desktop setting in the same pane. I closed the preferences and started working on something else, but when I returned to the desktop later, I discovered that EVERYTHING I had on the desktop had disappeared! I opened my iCloud Drive icon and, sure enough, the Desktop folder shows with a cloud next to it. I next received a warning from Box Sync that my Box folder had disappeared and needed to be relinked. I opened the folder and ALL the files inside of it were gone. I immediately went to System Preferences and de-selected the Documents and Desktop option, hoping things would return. They did not. Now, iCould Drive is trying to upload files to the cloud (which there is enough room to do in the cloud) but it won't stop the sync. It has moved 1 of 99 Gb of data at a very slow rate. Now, when I go to System Preferences to open iCloud and turn sync off, System Preferences hangs and I have to force-quit the program. I open the iCloud Drive folder and a spinning sync shows in the lower right corner but it apparently never connects.

 

What do I have to do to stop the iCloud sync, pull the files it has uploaded back to my Mac, and fix my System Preferences pane so I can open iCloud preferences again?

MacBook Pro, macOS Sierra (10.12), 16 Gb RAM, 1 Tb hard drive

Posted on Sep 23, 2016 6:08 AM

by KiwiAdventure,Solvedanswer
KiwiAdventure KiwiAdventure
Level 1 (27 points)
Apple TV
A:

I did the same and all back on my MacBook Air.

 

Excellent and thanks

Posted on Sep 24, 2016 12:59 AM

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David Biddix

Q: Help Me Stop iCloud Sync in Mac OS Sierra!

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  • Helpful answers

  • by David Biddix,

    David Biddix David Biddix Sep 23, 2016 7:23 AM in response to David Biddix
    Level 1 (58 points)
    Apple Music
    Sep 23, 2016 7:23 AM in response to David Biddix

    Let me also add that ALL the contents of my Documents folder have disappeared. They are showing in iCloud Drive in a Documents folder with clouds next to the files. How do I get those back on my Mac?

  • by KiwiAdventure,

    KiwiAdventure KiwiAdventure Sep 23, 2016 9:12 AM in response to David Biddix
    Level 1 (27 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 23, 2016 9:12 AM in response to David Biddix

    My iCloud is doing the same and I have not tried to stop the upload. All my files are still on my MacBook Air but it's only  uploaded 200kb of 86gib over 3 days.

  • by KiwiAdventure,

    KiwiAdventure KiwiAdventure Sep 23, 2016 9:19 AM in response to KiwiAdventure
    Level 1 (27 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 23, 2016 9:19 AM in response to KiwiAdventure

    It looks like it's stopped the upload of Parallels.

  • by David Biddix,

    David Biddix David Biddix Sep 23, 2016 11:44 AM in response to KiwiAdventure
    Level 1 (58 points)
    Apple Music
    Sep 23, 2016 11:44 AM in response to KiwiAdventure

    I think I have figured it out.

     

    I was reading on Jason Snell's website Six Colors about his experience with this new sync. He turned things off (as I did in my iCloud Settings) and then drug the files from the iCloud folder back to my Documents and on my Desktop and everything came back. I then re-started the computer and I think things are back to normal.

  • by KiwiAdventure,Solvedanswer

    KiwiAdventure KiwiAdventure Sep 24, 2016 12:59 AM in response to David Biddix
    Level 1 (27 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 24, 2016 12:59 AM in response to David Biddix

    I did the same and all back on my MacBook Air.

     

    Excellent and thanks

  • by ebycon,

    ebycon ebycon Sep 24, 2016 12:19 PM in response to David Biddix
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 24, 2016 12:19 PM in response to David Biddix

    I have this problems too, it's uploading parallel's windows 10's from documents! If I stop it I don't have windows 10 anymore and can't use parallels! This is ********, it's upload 19 gb of parallels and can't stop it! It will take forever, internet is **** here! upload is 400kb per second only!!! What can I do????????

  • by David Biddix,

    David Biddix David Biddix Sep 24, 2016 1:03 PM in response to ebycon
    Level 1 (58 points)
    Apple Music
    Sep 24, 2016 1:03 PM in response to ebycon

    First, go to your iCloud settings in System Preferences and uncheck Desktop & Documents Folders at the top of iCloud Drive under Documents, then at the  bottom, uncheck Optimize Mac Storage. Click Done. This turns off the syncing of the files.

     

    Now, open a Finder window find your Documents folder and open it (will be empty). Then open a second Finder window and select the iCloud icon on the left. You will see your files (with cloud icons by some of them. Select them all in this window, then drag the files back into your Documents folder. You will see the Mac pop up a copying files window. Let it finish moving the files (just as if you were copying them from one place to another). Do the same with the Desktop folder both in the iCloud window and find the Desktop folder in your user folder).

     

    Things will be back the way that they were and you will have stopped the syncing that you accidentally turned on.

     

    Jason Snell explains this better in this SixColors article.

  • by Terry Dycus,

    Terry Dycus Terry Dycus Sep 26, 2016 10:13 AM in response to David Biddix
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 26, 2016 10:13 AM in response to David Biddix

    Word of advice: let the files complete uploading to iCloud or they will not restore properly when you try to copy them back locally. NOT a fan of this "feature"!!! Bad Apple, bad

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Sep 26, 2016 1:58 PM in response to Terry Dycus
    Level 9 (72,532 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 26, 2016 1:58 PM in response to Terry Dycus

    Apple doesn’t routinely monitor the discussions. These are mostly user to user discussions.

     

    Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem or a suggestion for change. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem/suggested change solved sooner.

     

    Feedback