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Deleted icloud archive - is restoration possible?

Hello! I'm on Mac 10.14.6 and I was trying to clear up space to upgrade my OS.


I thought that 'icloud data archive' was just an archive of the cloud and therefore wasn't necessary, so I deleted it (like... From the trash bin deleted it). And watched all of my files get deleted in front of my face. All of my pictures; all of my important documents, all of my writing documents, everything is gone from my mac.


I am desperately hoping that there is something that can be done.


  • I do not have a time machine backup, unfortunately (I thought I did but nope)

MacBook Air 13″

Posted on Jun 22, 2023 4:35 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 23, 2023 9:15 AM

Once you archive iCloud data Archive or make copies of the information you store in iCloud - Apple Support

And move them to bin and empty the bin those files , mails , photos ....they can never be recovered and are erased permanently .

Delete files and folders on Mac - Apple Support

Empty the Trash

  1. On your Mac, click the Trash icon in the Dock.
  2. In the window that appears, do one of the following:
  • Empty one item from the Trash: Control-click the item you want to delete, then choose Delete Immediately.
    • In the warning message that appears, click Delete.
  • Empty all of the Trash: Click the Empty button in the upper-right corner of the Finder window. You can also click the Finder icon  in the Dock, then choose Finder > Empty Trash.
    • In the warning message that appears, click Empty Trash.

Items that you move to the Trash from your Mac remain until you empty the Trash. You can choose to automatically empty the Bin in Finder settings.

Items that you move to the Bin from iCloud Drive are automatically emptied from the Trash after 30 days, regardless of Finder settings. You can choose to empty the Trash sooner than 30 days.

WARNING: Any items emptied from the Trash are no longer available.

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1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 23, 2023 9:15 AM in response to RayHollows

Once you archive iCloud data Archive or make copies of the information you store in iCloud - Apple Support

And move them to bin and empty the bin those files , mails , photos ....they can never be recovered and are erased permanently .

Delete files and folders on Mac - Apple Support

Empty the Trash

  1. On your Mac, click the Trash icon in the Dock.
  2. In the window that appears, do one of the following:
  • Empty one item from the Trash: Control-click the item you want to delete, then choose Delete Immediately.
    • In the warning message that appears, click Delete.
  • Empty all of the Trash: Click the Empty button in the upper-right corner of the Finder window. You can also click the Finder icon  in the Dock, then choose Finder > Empty Trash.
    • In the warning message that appears, click Empty Trash.

Items that you move to the Trash from your Mac remain until you empty the Trash. You can choose to automatically empty the Bin in Finder settings.

Items that you move to the Bin from iCloud Drive are automatically emptied from the Trash after 30 days, regardless of Finder settings. You can choose to empty the Trash sooner than 30 days.

WARNING: Any items emptied from the Trash are no longer available.

Deleted icloud archive - is restoration possible?

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