You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

💡 Did you know?

⏺ If you can't accept iCloud Terms and Conditions... Learn more >

⏺ If you don't see your iCloud notes in the Notes app... Learn more >

iCloud Syncing now over limit?? Delete items?

Had a nightmare with iCloud Syncing.


So wanted to share some things from an old Macbook i7 to my M1 Max

I think i ticked share desktop and documents by mistake and now its syncing everything?!


I upgraded a while ago to 50Gb but now this is full, even though I don't want to sync desktop and documents!


So the files that I don't want near iCloud have now synced, and its over 2GB or more, and iCloud telling me im out of space?


I saw the desktop and documents show up and tried to delete but it keeps popping back up?!


How do i access my finished iCloud drive to delete what i don't want?

I've shut down and restarted hopefully thinking it would re-sync?


Also this means that some of my desktop items on the M1 Max have gone, not sure how I get these back either?



MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 14.6

Posted on Nov 19, 2024 1:46 AM

Reply
15 replies

Nov 19, 2024 2:53 AM in response to pitchfork

Did you check in Settings/Apple Account/iCloud, to turn off syncing for certain documents from your desktop?

Have a look at the related article:

Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support


You can also save space in iCloud, if you transfer your data to your computer, before removing it from iCloud:

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



Nov 19, 2024 2:41 AM in response to pitchfork

I've found some of the folders and files in the Trash, as I guess it was backing up to iCloud and I deleted them, to try and stop it syncing.


I guess it only stopped as its run out of its 50Gb limit.

Anyone know how to put these files back, and stop it from syncing, so that i get some iCloud space back, and delete the files I didn't want on iCloud?


What a nightmare.

Nov 19, 2024 3:02 AM in response to Ingo2711

thanks

Yes i turned off syncing Desktop and Documents, as soon as i realised so about 10 seconds, but it carried on and probably still is carrying on, syncing! i've just run out of space so it stopped!!


A nightmare morning if i'm honest with iCloud.!!!


I have found some of my files in the Trash, as I tried to stop it syncing by deleting the folders from iCloud.


Why isnt' there a simple STOP SYNCING when you've made a mistake?

Now my files are all over, some missing, some in the trash?


No idea whats going on. I usually don't mind iCloud just to put a few files on there, but this has now put me off.


I think I will have to go through everything to try and put it back if i can find it?


How do i now delete and stop syncing the Desktop and Documents folders its determined to sync?


Nov 19, 2024 3:26 AM in response to Ingo2711

Thanks, but what a faff!


I do have a simple Google Cloud Storage so I guess I could put some things to there as back up.


I now think I maybe should reformat my Mac once everything is backed up? (something I was thinking about anyway as projects have mounted up)

I have an internal 8TB SSD from Apple, but am now down to 3TB! so I need to clear out space anyway


I think iCloud tried to back all of this up to my 50GB subscription! which I didn't need it to!


I'm on MacOS 14.6.1 so could upgrade that too.


Is there a simple way to either wipe a Macbook Pro M1 Max, or reformat so its clean, and I install only what i need again?

Nov 19, 2024 6:19 AM in response to Ingo2711

Right so it seems on my iPhone and Macbook Pro M1 Max that I have recovered some of the space back.

I now have 21GB free.


Desktop & Documents were turned off I'm sure but iCloud still has Desktop & Documents folders in it?


My problem is that I have an old Macbook Pro i7 Intel and the newer Macbook Pro M1 Max using the same iCloud


I can't tell from iCloud, which Documents for example, for programs, come from which machine?

So i daren't delete anything?


Secondly, if I do delete things now that I don't need, on the M1 Max using the APFS format, (instead of a full reformat) do the deleted items just leave the HD and space is brought back straight away?

iCloud Syncing now over limit?? Delete items?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.