Desktop disappears from Favourites sidebar in Finder on iMac 21.5" (2017) running 11.5.1 Mac OS

Jeff_W. wrote:

Hello ksaro1,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities!

If we understand your post correctly, the Desktop folder disappears from Favorites in the Finder sidebar. We'd like to help!

Open System Preferences > click on Apple ID > Ensure the box for iCloud Drive is checked.

Click on Options across from iCloud Drive > check the box of Desktop and Documents folder and click on Done .

Quit System Preferences and test to see if the folder now remains.

Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive

Let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

Take care!

@Jeff_W - I'm not wanting to add my Desktop and Documents to iCloud, so this option isn't suitable for me. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Luis Sequeira1 wrote:

How exactly are you adding the Desktop to the sidebar?

Are you doing in Finder->Preferences->Sidebar? Or manually dragging the Desktop icon to the Sidebar?

@Old Toad - when the Desktop disappeared before I was dragging the icon to the Sidebar. I didn't realise there's a setting in Preferences, thanks for that tip. I've now enabled Desktop in the Preferences.

Old Toad wrote:

Boot into Safe Mode according to Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support and make sure the Desktop is listing in the Finder's sidebar Favorites section. Reboot normally and check again.

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/d1a27fdf-e6b1-4b20-b2e2-63b6cb1ff625

@Old Toad - My Desktop is currently showing in my sidebar, even over reboots. Once it disappears again, I'll try to boot in Safe mode and see if it shows there. If it does. what is that telling me?

Old Toad wrote:

Boot into Safe Mode according to Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support and make sure the Desktop is listing in the Finder's sidebar Favorites section. Reboot normally and check again.

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/d1a27fdf-e6b1-4b20-b2e2-63b6cb1ff625

@Old Toad - I just had another crash of my iMac. When it rebooted the Desktop was missing from my Favourites in Finder. I then shutdown and restarted the iMac in Safe mode and the Desktop was still missing from Favourites in the Finder window. So, even in Safe Mode the Desktop is missing.