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All Documents and Desktop gone from hard drive to iCloud archive

All my documents and my desktop items have gone into an iCloud archive and I can't work out how to get them back onto my hard drive! I'm struggling with it. Does anyone know how I can retrieve everything? The Documents and Desktop folders have disappeared from my Finder into iCloud. I am worried that if I don't get them back where I need them they will be auto deleted in 30 days?

iMac 27″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Aug 6, 2021 10:38 AM

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Posted on Aug 6, 2021 10:53 AM

Click on finder in the dock , take cursor on top menu bar > Go > Home > your user name > iCloud Drive ( Archive ) .

Select all documents use command and A keys , copy them use command and C keys and paste use command and V keys over location > finder > Documents .

You don't need to save documents in locations > finder > Macintosh HD

Make sure iCloud Drive and desktops and documents box is turned on Use iCloud Drive to store documents on your Mac and iOS devices - Apple Support


3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 6, 2021 10:53 AM in response to Julrosmo

Click on finder in the dock , take cursor on top menu bar > Go > Home > your user name > iCloud Drive ( Archive ) .

Select all documents use command and A keys , copy them use command and C keys and paste use command and V keys over location > finder > Documents .

You don't need to save documents in locations > finder > Macintosh HD

Make sure iCloud Drive and desktops and documents box is turned on Use iCloud Drive to store documents on your Mac and iOS devices - Apple Support


Aug 17, 2021 9:24 PM in response to tygb

this is a really bad initiative. I did a recent update to find most of the contents of my had drive moved to iCloud and deleted from my hard drive without asking, several apps as well. I'll use iCloud if I want. In fact I was using it for a couple of things. The struggle to get all that data back was a big one. I have been an apple user for a very very long time and love most of what they do but assuming they know what's best for me is not something that warms the cockles of my heart! don't do something like that again!

All Documents and Desktop gone from hard drive to iCloud archive

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