Stop or reset iCloud photo download on Windows 10

Question

Level 1

68 points

Stop or reset iCloud photo download on Windows 10

I'm setting up a new computer. After installing iCloud for Windows, I clicked "Download photos" to copy all my photos to the new PC. I checked all the years, intending to download everything. This turns out to be about 8 GB of photos and video.

After three days, the download appears no where near completion, and I'm not sure it's even trying. The photo counter (e.g. "Downloading 4822 photos") doesn't seem to change, but TaskManager shows the iCloud Photos process continuing to use 40 to 90 Mbps of network traffic.

How can I stop or reset this?

Windows, Windows 6

Posted on Apr 2, 2020 5:17 PM

Reply

Answer 1

brenden dv

Community Specialist

Apr 5, 2020 4:52 PM in response to Yefchak

Yefchak,

Photos are priceless memories, and it's important to make sure you can access them when you need them. If I understand correctly, you started the download of your iCloud Photos on your PC via iCloud for Windows a few days ago and it isn't really advancing.

Have you tried basic troubleshooting like restarting your PC and modem and/or router to make sure you have a fresh connection? If you have, you may need to restart iCloud. Open the Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) on your PC and find the iCloud/Apple processes. End task for all of those. When you re-open iCloud for Windows it should refresh the connection to iCloud and hopefully reset your downloads.

You may need to sign out of iCloud in iCloud for Windows, restart your PC, and sign back in. Make sure that yo have iCloud Photo Library and "Download new photos and videos to my PC" selected.

This article is also a great resource when planning to use iCloud Photos on your Windows PC.

Get help with iCloud Photos on your Windows PC

Cheers!

Reply

Answer 2

Yefchak Author

Level 1

68 points

Apr 9, 2020 10:16 PM in response to brenden dv

I'm sorry... yesterday I marked this as solved, but I'm afraid it's not. I don't understand how I thought the photos were downloaded now, because they're not. (I was probably looking at a similar, but non-iCloud related folder).

Not only are the photos not there, but even new photos I have taken recently are not being downloaded. They are syncing to my other devices, of course.

I have no idea what to try next.

Reply

Answer 3

Yefchak Author

Level 1

68 points

Apr 8, 2020 8:53 AM in response to brenden dv

Hi,

Thanks. I had rebooted several times, but it looks like signing out of iCloud first was what I needed.

Reply

Stop or reset iCloud photo download on Windows 10

Similar questions