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Documents folder replaced

Just now my all my finder tabs reverted to the Mini HD. My documents folder is also now only showing a folder called Grab. How do I get Documents back?

Mac mini 2018 or later

Posted on Aug 10, 2021 8:11 AM

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5 replies

Aug 10, 2021 8:13 AM in response to TchCzarina418

Are you logged in as the user you expect to be?


Go to Finder menu -> Preferences and show the hard disk on your desktop if it isn't already.

Double click the hard disk icon.

Double click the Users folder.

The folder that has the house icon is the folder for the currently logged in user.


Check the Trash can on the Dock. You might have accidentally moved your Documents folder there.

Check the contents of the house icon to ensure it hasn't been renamed.

If you can't find it, you may need to take it in for service to see if the file can be recovered, if you didn't backup your data.

Aug 10, 2021 8:19 AM in response to a brody

I have not logged out since this morning when it was working normally. So yes. I am the only user.


Trash is empty.


House icon is correct, except for the empty documents folder.


I've attempted to restore from Time Machine and it seemed to complete but I still cannot see anything in Documents. I've since created a Documents 2 and restored my files there, too. The size of the Documents folder is what it should be, I just can't see anything in there.


I have an available Big Sur update. Should I go ahead and install that?

Aug 10, 2021 8:27 AM in response to TchCzarina418

No. That won't solve a thing.


Get a copy of Devon Technologies EasyFind and try to locate a known document that is in the Documents folder on all drives.


If it finds it on the Time Machine drive, go to Apple menu -> System preferences -> Time Machine, and turn time machine off before attempting to access the file, and copy them over to your documents folder.


If you can't locate any full Documents folder with EasyFind, then you will need to bring the machine in for data recovery, or attempt to boot off a drive with Prosoft Data Rescue, or Wondershare data recovery.


Also go to http://www.icloud.com/ to verify the documents aren't hiding on your iCloud drive.

http://onedrive.live.com/ if you use Microsoft's One Drive.

http://docs.google.com/ if you use Google Docs


If neither can find the file, you'll want to take to a data recovery expert. If your machine is under AppleCare, an Authorized Apple Service provider may be able to help you.




Aug 10, 2021 8:30 AM in response to a brody

I restored a full documents folder to the User/Documents folder and I still cannot see anything in there except a folder called Grab. I have documents open in applications currently that are saved in Documents. Everything is still there, but I can't see it in Finder.


I've also restored my document files to a newly created User/Documents2, which is visible and I can use if I must. I need to be able to see the files in Finder.

Documents folder replaced

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