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iCloud sync of documents and desktop

Hi,


I use iCloud to back up and store my documents and desktop contents from my Mac. Now I have started using another Mac and enabled Desktop and documents back up in the second newer Mac also. Both Macs are signed in using the same iCloud account. I see that my new Mac automatically has all the documents and desktop contents from my older Mac. I want to keep them separate, but both backed up to my same iCloud account. Is there anyway to enable this? I want contents of both Macs different, but both backed up to iCloud.


Regards,

Suri


Posted on Aug 11, 2019 10:40 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 12, 2019 8:22 AM

As per this article https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206985

You can organize and combine folders from multiple Macs when you turn on Desktop and Documents on those computers too. After you turn on Desktop and Documents on a second Mac, you'll find its files in folders with the same name as your second Mac inside your original Desktop and Documents folders. Then you can combine your files manually, but iCloud doesn’t automatically merge the files in case you want to keep them separate. Any edits you make are seamlessly updated in iCloud Drive. There’s no need to manage your folders and files again on your other devices .


If you have turned on iCloud Drive https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT204025 and desktops and documents box is checked , the data is saved on the iCloud Drive .

If you mean you are having two Macs , say Mac A and Mac B and you want the same Apple ID and password signed on both Mac so that iCloud data is similar on it , and what Mac contents do you want to differ , clarify it .



3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 12, 2019 8:22 AM in response to surishenoy

As per this article https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206985

You can organize and combine folders from multiple Macs when you turn on Desktop and Documents on those computers too. After you turn on Desktop and Documents on a second Mac, you'll find its files in folders with the same name as your second Mac inside your original Desktop and Documents folders. Then you can combine your files manually, but iCloud doesn’t automatically merge the files in case you want to keep them separate. Any edits you make are seamlessly updated in iCloud Drive. There’s no need to manage your folders and files again on your other devices .


If you have turned on iCloud Drive https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT204025 and desktops and documents box is checked , the data is saved on the iCloud Drive .

If you mean you are having two Macs , say Mac A and Mac B and you want the same Apple ID and password signed on both Mac so that iCloud data is similar on it , and what Mac contents do you want to differ , clarify it .



Aug 13, 2019 2:39 AM in response to surishenoy

Once two Macs are signed in with same Apple ID and password on the same network , the existing documents on the primary Mac will get synced to the second Mac .

You can give a breakage in settings by opening system preferences > iCloud > the box of iCloud drive is to be checked , click on option button and uncheck the box of desktops and documents and click on turn off .


So , if you create new documents in the primary Mac they will be saved in the primary Mac itself and a pop up window will be shown , click on show in finder , these new documents will not be shown in second Mac , again to repeat the same concept what ever the data that was shared in two Macs will be constant and saved on the iCloud server .


But putting a barrier by unchecking the box of desktops and documents new data added in desktops and documents will get stopped .


Aug 12, 2019 9:52 PM in response to tygb

Hi,

Let me clarify,

I have an older Mac A with Documents and Desktop(D and D) contents synced to iCloud.

I buy a new Mac B. I set it up with the same iCloud account and enable D and D sync.

Automatically all the D and D contents from Mac A start appearing in Mac B. My intention is to keep it separate. But both backed up to iCloud.

Ideally can I get a iCloud directory structure like: Documents-> Two sub folders-> Documents Mac A, Documents Mac B.


iCloud sync of documents and desktop

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