Does Time Machine backup iCloud Drive

Question

Level 1

134 points

Does Time Machine backup iCloud Drive

2020 iMac, 500 GB SSD, 27” monitor, macOS 14.5

OWC Dual Dock with two Seagate HDD drives for a duo TM backup

Problem:

• I have a .Numbers spreadsheet titled Medicare_UMR payments.numbers into which I have been entering data since about 2012. Last time I made an entry was probably 90 days ago.

• The spreadsheet was located in iCloud Drive/Numbers.

• Today, it was not there so, using Find Any File, I searched for it using these parameters: Find items on all disks where [Name]

[contains] Medicare_UMR payments.numbers

• The files it found showed Creation Dates of 1/30/2020 and a Modification Date of 10/18/22.

When I opened one of those Numbers files and checked for Previous Versions there were none. It returned [No previous versions available/Error retrieving versions from Time Machine.

Am I truly dead in the water here? Are all my entries into that document for the last two years gone?

ALSO..

The plot thickens.

I just went to [Browse Time Machine], navigated to and selected a file in my ~/home folder...waited until the HDDs stopped flashing, and [Restore] remained greyed out.

I was able, however, to right click on the file, click on [Copy] and the file was copied to my desktop.

Is this a new way to restore files/folders or is my TM not functioning properly?

FINALLY...Optimize Mac Storage in System Settings is turned OFF.

iMac 27″, macOS 14.5

Posted on Jul 18, 2024 2:38 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Jul 19, 2024 10:29 AM in response to Room101A

I just tried something-- I deleted a file in my iCloud Drive folder on my Mac. I emptied trash. I went to iCloud.com and deleted this file in Recently Deleted. Then I did a Time Machine backup. When I chose Browse for TM, this afternoon's view was missing that file, but this morning's view had it. I restored the file. It reappeared just fine.

iCloud sync is on, Documents is off.

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Answer 2

FoxFifth

Level 10

475,473 points

Jul 18, 2024 3:12 PM in response to Room101A

If there is a local copy of an iCloud Drive file, either because Optimize Mac Storage is off, or if it is on and there is a local copy that has not been Optimized, Time Machine does backup that copy.

I am able to restore those files the same way as files that were saved to a non-iCloud folder.

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Answer 3

FoxFifth

Level 10

475,473 points

Jul 19, 2024 8:07 AM in response to Room101A

All I know is that I am able to restore iCloud Drive files from Time Machine the same way as files that were saved to a non-iCloud folder. I am not aware of any new way to restore files and don't know why you aren't able to do it the same way as always.

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Answer 4

Room101A Author

Level 1

134 points

Jul 18, 2024 6:24 PM in response to FoxFifth

If I understand correctly, by having Optimize Mac Storage tuned off, then all the files and folders that I placed in my iCloud Drive by dragging and dropping them from my Home folder into iCloud Drive are in my iCloud Drive...so yes, I have local copies on my Mac.

So that being the case, the Numbers spreadsheet should have been backed up to my TimeMachine drive and therefore have been current BUT it was not current and I don't understand why it had not been backed up by TM.

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Answer 5

Room101A Author

Level 1

134 points

Jul 18, 2024 6:32 PM in response to Room101A

One more thing, if I may...

I just went to [Browse Time Machine], navigated to and selected a file in my ~/home folder...waited until the HDDs stopped flashing, and [Restore] remained greyed out.

I was able, however, to right click on the file, then click on [Copy] and copy and past that file to my desktop.

Is this a new way to restore files/folders or is my TM not functioning properly?

Reply

Does Time Machine backup iCloud Drive

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