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Desktop, Downloads, Documents...gone?

It started a few days ago, possibly January 1. When I need to work on a downloaded file, or an image or a Pages file stored on the Desktop or in Documents, nothing in those areas can be retrieved because the icons for them have disappeared. Items on the desktop can be dragged and dropped on a program icon, but what's on the desktop is a very small percentage of the files I work with every day. The only way I could add the attached screenshot was to drag it from the desktop to one of the portable drives. It was inaccessible otherwise, on a desktop that cannot be reached. Help, please. A reboot doesn't seem to help.

Mac mini, macOS 12.0

Posted on Jan 5, 2022 7:27 AM

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4 replies

Jan 5, 2022 8:46 AM in response to Ralph Lucas

So what happened on January 1st? Did you make some kind of change to the computer?


Can you confirm that your downloads are also missing. That is an important detail.


Can you confirm that the files are actually gone? Or are only the sidebar icons missing? Can you find the files by navigating to them using the Finder alone? Are the files listed in Spotlight?


If you were using iCloud Drive Desktop and Documents, then some change to iCloud could make those files go way. You can simply turn iCloud Drive Desktop and Documents back on. But BE CAREFUL with this. DO NOT try clicking on anything in iCloud Drive without knowing PRECISELY what happened or what is going to happen. This could cause irretrievable loss of data and put your computer out of use for days.


What is more important is the Downloads folder. If all of these files are also missing, then iCloud is probably not involved. If Downloads are missing, then it sounds like your user account is corrupt. But here again, you are at very high risk of irretrievable loss of data. You want to proceed very cautiously right now. Do you have a backup? If you do, I wouldn't recommend making a new one right now. You might need to restore instead.


I recommend more details about exactly what might have happened and exactly what data is now missing.

Desktop, Downloads, Documents...gone?

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