Q: desktop and documents on icloud
-
Sep 24, 2016 6:58 AMby williamfromalfred,Negative data is gone. I am at about 1GB of 43 GB Uploaded ... so it looks like I will be spending 40 days and nights wandering.
Disconcerting thing is the Finder is really not working or syncing. Even when I try to look at the Applications folder only a very few of my applications show up ... and I always get that spinning gear in the lower left of any Finder window no matter what folder I select. Tried something different too to Open files from within the application such as Keynote. Then I get the spinning rainbow. So it is definitely the Finder choking or waiting while everything is being rearranged between the iCloud and the Mac. I suppose I could restart the computer but it would likely happen again. I'll let it chew ... hopefully I will survive the desert. Water please.
-
Sep 24, 2016 8:36 AMby jusvuori,Documents and Desktop DO NOT go automatically to the cloud. You need to choose to sync them to iCloud. The setting is in System Preferences -> iCould -> iCloud Drive Options.
Even when you choose to sync the Desktop and Documents to iCloud using the setting described above, the folders ARE NOT deleted from your local hard disk. Yes, in Finder, it looks like that the folders were only in iCloud but if you disable all internet connectivity (turn off WiFi) you still have access to the files. Those folders are both in the cloud and also on your local hard disk. So, you remain to have 24/7 access to Documents and Desktop no matter whether you have an internet connection or not.
So, DO NOT use Finder to drag and drop Documents and Desktop folders to iCloud but enable the sync in the System Preferences. That way you do not delete the files on your local hard disk but you just enable synchronization of the files to the iCloud.
-
Sep 24, 2016 9:26 AMby williamfromalfred,Yep, that's what I did ... the iCloud options. My basic conclusion is that the Finder (and my 1 Mbit/second internet upload bandwidth) are not up to the task using my 'mid 2010' Mac mini. The Desktop & Documents storage option with the iCloud is too much for the 'old' Finder ... and 43 GBytes of files to the iCloud. Not quite 'bricked' ... but close. Lots of spinning gears in the right bottom corner of the Finder windows.
I have my two Time Machined back-up disks of everything so I hope when the new iMacs come out later this Fall? I can get everything synced with Desktop & Documents.
-
Sep 24, 2016 10:40 AMby williamfromalfred,A couple of other possibilities ... the Apple iCloud servers could be overwhelmed with all the Uploads after Sierra ... or is my ISP provider throttling the Uploads? I bought extra iCloud storage to allow me to place my Photos library in the iCloud in addition to the Desktop & Documents.
-
Sep 24, 2016 11:41 AMby Jean Shea,I did the same: Used the iCloud option, and then files went missing from my hard drive. I couldn't find them either through the finder or simply clicking open the hard disk icon and looking via that route. I was only able to retrieve them after turning off all those iCloud preferences (via System Preferences) and then drag-and-drop. And I have read other posts on this topic of people who reporting that their files on their hard disk were missing once they lost connected to the internet.
-
Sep 24, 2016 12:00 PMby williamfromalfred,Yes. Besides it affecting the file visibility it is affecting the launching of applications such as Pages, etc. ... I've sent in a number of 'reports' to apple based on having to force quit applications which refused to launch.
I think in their ideal testing environment things may work ... but in our real world ... not so well ... or, in my case it almost qualifies as 'brick' status. Certainly it has destroyed any productivity. I can't even imagine launching Xcode for development work.
Luckily I have my little MacBook which I quickly reverted to local storage when I saw the issue develop. Unfortunately the majority of my files are on my Mac mini.
-
Sep 24, 2016 12:01 PMby jusvuori,When you say that "files went missing from your hard drive", what do you mean exactly?
Yes, it is true that in Finder you can SEE them only under the iCloud sections BUT the files are still on your hard disk. You can test this very easily. Switch off your internet connection and try to open the files in the Documents folder. You should be able to open the files without the internet connection, i.e. without connection to the iCloud.
-
Sep 24, 2016 12:16 PMby Jean Shea,What I said. They went missing. Forget the Finder window. I clicked on my Macintosh HD icon and began looking for them. The Documents folder was missing. No files. But they had been moved to iCloud and I got the update icon on the iCloud showing that it was active. When I clicked on it, it should an upload of gigabits of files in process. (And just to be clear I DID THE ICLOUD OPTION, NOT THE DRAG AND DROP.)
All of this raises questions:
- If the files are still on the hard drive, as is being asserted. Why wouldn't they also be seen on the hard drive? If that is some move by Apple to make us think they're being clever, it is too much so by half.
- Unless the rules of file transfer have changed. Files actually copy; some transfer applications erase the files from the original site. Apple isn't being exactly clear on that. Just giving us the marketing speech and not disclosing the technical details.
- If Apple is "masking" the presence on the hard drive, that's a bit disconcerting, and again it's too cute.
- Finally, all this doesn't change my doubts that cloud technology is somehow safer than other storage options. I don't believe that, and with the rise of hacking and stolen data, I'm even less convinced. I'm good with having some files on a cloud so I can work on them on any device. But to hijack the entire Documents and Desktop folders wholesale — no thanks.
-
Sep 24, 2016 12:24 PMby jusvuori,Yes, and if I guess right you clicked the Macintosh HD icon in the FINDER, right?
You are absolutely right. The only place in Finder where you can see your Documents folder is under the iCould section after you choose in System Preferences to sync your Documents to iCloud. And I agree that it is confusing and I spent hours searching the files too before I realized that the Documents folder is accessible without internet connection. So, synchronizing the files to iCloud DOES NOT delete them from your hard drive.
Actually, you can open the terminal window in your user folder and you can see the Documents folder. The Documents folder is still there, it is just invisible if you try to search it in Finder.
-
Sep 24, 2016 12:40 PMby Jean Shea,Thank you for the additional information. Hard as it may seem to most tech savvy users, most people do not want to spend their time on the computer hashing out things via the Terminal window. We want a neat, clean, well-understood process and not feel as if we're being played.
So thank you for your help in explaining, but I stand by my assertions in the previous message.
-
Sep 24, 2016 12:41 PMby williamfromalfred,Don't think it acts that way with the Desktop & Documents iCloud storage option selected.
I tried what you said. There are files with the little cloud next to them with a downward arrow that will not open if you are not connected to the internet. At least it is not possible on my Mac.
