finder documents folder only in iCloud, finder desktop folder is in both favorites and iCloud

Hi peteriancole,

As we understand it, you have a question about the Favorites column in Finder. You might try clicking Finder > Preferences > Sidebar to make sure that "Documents" is checked. Let us know if this helps.

Regarding iCloud files being accessible offline, what you describe is normal. The information below covers a bit about editing files while offline: Access iCloud Drive files from your iPhone and other devices - Apple Support

Manage your iCloud Drive files while offline

If you're offline and want to access, edit, and save documents in iCloud Drive, follow these steps first.

How to access files while you're offline

To access your files offline, open the Files app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and follow these steps.

If you make changes to locally stored versions of your files while offline the changes won't appear in iCloud Drive. Upload the updated versions of your files to iCloud Drive when you're back online.

Upload files to iCloud Drive to save changes made offline

You can upload files to iCloud Drive from a Mac or PC by doing one of the following:

Drag files from either your desktop or a folder window on your computer to the iCloud Drive window. You can also drag your files to a folder icon in the iCloud Drive window. If you drag to a folder icon, it's highlighted to confirm that the item you're dragging goes into the folder.

Click the iCloud Drive upload button  in the iCloud Drive toolbar. Select the files you want to upload, then click Choose.

We hope this helps. Let us know if you have any questions, and have a good one.

Hi peteriancole,

Let's start up in safe mode and test: How to use safe mode on your Mac

Cheers.