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Synced desktop files and folders just disappear from iCloud after macOS reinstallation

Synced desktop files and folders just disappear from iCloud after macOS reinstallation. I can't find or restore them, though I always tried to keep them synchronized to be sure they are safe. Could somebody help me? I don't want to lose a few months of my work.

MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.15

Posted on May 14, 2020 12:16 PM

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Posted on May 14, 2020 12:28 PM

You should be able to view the files at iCloud.com


Check your iCloud settings on the Mac in Preferences to make sure it’s enabled and they should copy back over to the Mac eventually. If they’re big files it may take a while.

13 replies

Jun 1, 2020 5:45 AM in response to laurent144

Hey Laurent. Sorry for hearing that. Unfortunately, no :( Apple support guys also got no idea what happened. From my perspective, there are a few moments that could be connected with this issue. So, it happened after I reinstall the macOS (I used the official instructions). Maybe I shouldn't erase the whole APPLE SSD, or perhaps I chose the wrong erase format, or I shouldn't use the "Macintosh" volume title instead of the typical "Macintosh HD" one. Then, right after I login with my Apple ID, the system found an update, and I've started downloading/updating it. By that time, I've noticed strange iCloud behavior: the mobile "Files" app didn't show any files in the Desktop folder; all other folders were okay. But I could see the previews of all of my recent desktop files on the Recent tab. So, I was confident about them until hours later, no file appears. Still, I have no idea what is the real cause of that issue. Maybe that was a bad coincidence, and my account couldn't connect to the iCloud server responsible for having my desktop files. Perhaps this server still contains them, and the problem is that my account is connected to the new one. Anyway, even if my files are saved somewhere, there is literally no way to get information about what hardware the iCloud account was used at that time.

Synced desktop files and folders just disappear from iCloud after macOS reinstallation

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