All Desktop files and folders disappeared - they're not in icloud either

I found myself in the same boat today. So I hope answers will show up further down the thread. What's crazy is that a simple update (for me, it was just a small update that affected Macs in a year that doesn't even match mine) wiped out my desk top.

I feel for you. No judgement coming from here and I hope I will see some good news as a finish reading this thread.

Guillaume__ wrote:

A Time Machine backup?

Or are you referring to something else? How can I find such a backup?

Thank you for your help :)

Hmmm.

anyone who values their user data has a backup plan of some sort in place— in case of missing files or a catastrophic failure of some sort...

Maybe iCloud ?

Maybe some other on line backup service?

3-2-1 Backup Strategy: three copies of your data, two different methods, and one offsite.

— How to create a boot clone  https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-10081

 —Back up your Mac with Time Machine: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201250

—Use DiskUtility Restore feature  https://support.apple.com/guide/disk-utility/restore-a-disk-dskutl14062/mac

                   note: >System Preferences>Security & Privacy >Privacy>Full Disk Access

                  unlock the  padlock,  press the + button and add Disk Utility 

Guillaume__ wrote:

Hi,

After a system update, all the files and folders that were on my Desktop disappeared.

I'm using MacOS Catalina 10.15.7.

"Desktop and Documents" is unchecked in iCloud Drive settings.

On icloud.com, there's nothing to restore in "restore files".

I'm logged as my regular user, not as a guest.

The various file recovery apps that I tried did not find any of the files that were on my Desktop previously.

I booted in safe mode and my Desktop also was empty.

They are not in the trash either.

From the terminal I tried "cd Desktop" and then "ls -a" and my files aren't there - only ".DS_Store" and ".localized"

What can I do? I really need those files

Thank you

How about in the Relocated Items folder?

Finder>Go>Go To Folder> copy and paste:

/Users/Shared

Guillaume__ wrote:

A Time Machine backup?

Or are you referring to something else? How can I find such a backup?

Thank you for your help :)

how about here

Finder>Go>Go to Folder>copy & paste:

~/iCloud Drive (Archive)

Just in case ... try downloading Find Any File and have it search for a file you know was on your desktop. You just need a portion of the filename, spelled properly, and have Find Any File look for all files with names that match that text string. Have it search all folders including hidden files.

I don't know if this will help, but I went into Finder and Recent and it looks like all of my desktop items were in there. The folders are all gone, but the files seem to be there. So instead of getting the 100's of other things done I needed to do, or actually doing something I *wanted* to do, I'll be reorganizing my desk top.

I am however, glad that I didn't actually lose the information, even though it's frustrating and time consuming to have to re do it. It's at least still there.

Not as much was in mine as I'd hoped either. I just couldn't get back on here :(

I did however, use Best Buy's Geek Squad and they did something behind the scenes that I didn't see because they didn't say anything, or somehow my desk top just showed back up. I don't know. But it's all in one folder now so I can save it to a jump drive if I can find one.

I'm sorry yours is still gone. I hope they can be found at some point. I had some hope, because when I'd open a program and ask it to load a previous file, it was able to, so I hoped they were still somewhere.

Sorry to give you false hope.

Good luck

Guillaume__ wrote:

They're not there either :(

There is a "Previously Relocated Items" there but it is also empty

Then you will have to restore them from a backup previous to the " system update "

Well dang. I guess I'm at the bottom of the thread lol.

Any word?