iCloud deleted my documents. How do I get them back

This was the same for Keynote and Numbers as well as Goodreader.

This morning I opened a file attachment from email in pages. While I was looking at the data in the file the iPad went to sleep because I was not typing or changing the document. When I turned the iPad back on a warning came up that said, "This document has been deleted from another location.". I clicked ok and then before my eyes the document disappered. Great. At least I can pull the document at of mail but less than 24 hours and iCloud deletes it...good grief.

Thanks to all for the clarifications. Now I don't feel like such an idiot! My first Apple product was a IIC, so it's not like I'm a newbie, and even though I can't write program, etc., I'm a good problem solver and trouble-shoot for my extended family. But this new ios5/iCloud situation has really had me stumped. I hardly use my Macbook since I got my iPad1, so it's important to me to keep my ios devices working smoothly.

When I first downloaded the update, I tried using iCloud. My contacts and calendar disappeared from all devices. So I turned iCloud off and then had to restore everything from my Macbook. I'm pretty compulsive about backups and had backed everything up to an external drive before I started the update. Still, it was a challenge to figure out how to get everything back on track.

So the I tried creaing a new Apple ID, thinking maybe I had somehow caused the problem. Same stuff happened. At that point I decided to abandon iCloud until the bugs get worked out, and after reading threads like this I'm glad I did.

I am reluctant to update to Lion in any case as Quicken isn't compatible, and so far I haven't found a satisfactory replacement.

Currently I have my system set up to sync all my ios devices with my Macbook via wi-fi, which is working just fine. Since I'm retired I don't really need anything complicated. But I do enjoy keeping up with the latest - keeps my brain sharp!

Again, thanks for the help. I will continue to follow this and other similar threads so that maybe, when and if the bugs get worked out, I look forward to trying out iCloud again.

I spoke to Applecare this morning. They told me to do a "clean" resync of my iphone and ipad with iTunes (in other words to sync the devices after having unclicked "sync apps" on ITunes so that after the sync iPad/iPHone are clean of apps) and to then reinstall Pages, Numbers and Keynotes as this issue with ICloud could be due to an apps conflict. I'm doing this test and I'll report back when I'm done.

That happened to me too! "This document has been deleted from another location." I lost my documents for the second time! So dissapointing. I hope Apple fixes this soon!

As a Network Engineer this is the part that seems off to me. This is a screenshot of my account details.

I have 7 folders labelled "Mobile Documents.delete" with a date stamp. Some (not all) of these date stamps are the same as the date/time of reboots listed in ther terminal when I call "last reboot"

Is rebooting your mac the trigger for these file deletions?

rt

I read all of these not believing ANYONE suggested STAY AWAY FROM iCLOUD. If possible, Apple is worse on upgrades than Microsoft. For the six years since I moved to the Mac each upgrade has resulted in the forums full of problems ... AND ... NO SOLUTIONS.

Apparently the developer groups are so isolated from enterprise and adult users that they simply don't have the experience in the real world to keep from fixing things that aren't broke or not understanding the consequences of their actions.

No question as to superiority of overall product .. it's the worker bees who are not adequate.

no upgrade to 7, no IOS 5 and no cloud .. until..

When complaints die down. ... then !,

I observed the same incident on my iPad 2 after upgrading to iOS5. Experiencing the possibility of loosing my iPad Number files was uncomfortable to say the least. My Number files only existed on my iPad so it was a worst case scenario. This problem was resolved today after some very unproductive time on the phone with Apple and then ultimately consulting a Genius at the Apple store. The phone guy was no help whatsoever while the Genius was a great help and solved the issue.

The irony of the whole solution is that iCloud actually retained the missing Numbers files thereby solving the lost problem issue, however having iCloud implemented and not working problem actually caused the iPad missing file issue.

Here are the steps that were used: ( warning copy all your photo, picture data etc. befor proceeding)

1) Log into www.icloud.com on a computer using your Apple ID and go to the iWork area where you will hopefully find all your lost files. Download all of your missing files to your computer to a place that is nice and safe.

2) Connect your iPad to iTunes and navigate to iTunes/App/Filesharing/Numbers. Add the files that were downloaded in step one and sync. On your iPad open Numbers and + a file and "copy from iTunes" instead of creating from another source. Select the files and add them to Numbers one by one. You now have the files on your iPad and a backup on your Computer.

3) Connect to iTunes, transfer all purchases and backup your iPad.

4) If things are working normally at this point you are done. Otherwise it is time for a Restore to factory default and repeat step 2 and 3.

I needed to do step 4 which caused a bit of work but I have a clean machine and did not loose any data.

My first experience with iCloud was not good and a significant waste of my day off. I will seriously be questioning how I use it in the future.

Mep2000 wrote:

1) Log into www.icloud.com on a computer using your Apple ID and go to the iWork area where you will hopefully find all your lost files. Download all of your missing files to your computer to a place that is nice and safe.

Unfortunately, this won't work for me. Each time my documents disappeared I have checked www.icloud.com and each time all documents where missing there, too. Instead, there is the message inviting you to get Numbers, Pages or Keynote to sync into iCloud.

I was just wondering whether it has to do with the "Use Cellular" option. On you iOS device, in iCloud settings, Documents and Data you can disable the use of the cellular network to sync documents. I have disabled it as most of the time I am in reach of a wi-fi network.

Thinking about it, possibily the documents disappeared after I did a change while not in wi-fi range or actually leaving wi-fi range.

I have to do a few more tests but maybe this option setting is a common denominator...

I seem to have resolved the issue with a little help from Applecare, proceeding as follows:

1) Backup all of your iPad and/or iPhone data through iTunes;

2) click off the "Sync Apps" button in iTunes and perform a "clean" sync of the device (all third party apps will disappear, as well as iWork apps);

3) Connect to the Appstore on iPad/iPhone and download your apps back, STARTING WITH IWORK APPS;

4) Sync back again with iTunes.

After taking these steps, documents in the cloud appears to have resumed regular syncing with no deletions, I will keep everyone posted as to how this solution stands, however it seems to be a conflict between iWork apps and other third party apps. If true, it's hard to believe someone at Apple hasn't posted this workaround somewhere yet. If this workaround is only temporary, let's hope Apple fixes it soon.

But it's worth trying, no more deletes here!

Tried the delete and reinstall, (which is a huge pain btw), but no luck. My problems seem to be slightly different.

1: If I go to iCloud on settings (iPhone 4 or iPad 2), there is no option there to sync documents. (it is on a friend of mine's)

2: if I select under setting, Pages or Numbers, I can toggle the iCloud sync tab, but...

3: if I open either app, it does not sync, and if I go back to settings, I see the toggle mentioned in point two is back to 'off'.

4: I only had test docs anyway, so do not care about them, as everything critical is still on my mac and timemachine. Of note, is that if I go to www.icloud.com, the docs are still there, and can be downloaded. They have NOT been deleted from iCloud, I just can't sync them to my iOS devices.

Essentially I have no apparent way of turning iCloud for iWork on.

Have you tried restoring iOS5 to your devices?

Yes, I tried to do a restore on the iPad, and while it worked for a few minutes, it disappeared after a while. I do have a theory/suspicion.

I have my corporate mail/contacts/notes/calendar on my devices. This means that my company has loaded 6 profiles onto my devices, to ensure security. These include things like password requirements, and the like. I suspect that maybe the company feels that there is a risk/legal issue in allowing our private (and client, therefore the legal issue) information to be stored by a third party. i.e. Apple. I shall check with the helpdesk on Monday, and see what they say.

This would also explain why the restore worked for only a few minutes while the profiles were loading.

If it is the case, then I need to explain to them in slow laboriouse detail that no one uses pages or numbers in our company to edit work. Everything is word/excel. So the risk is not there. Plus I could email any private document just as easily, so it does not solve the human element. Will see what they say.