Stopping iCloud service erased iCal data on my Mac

Apparently that is exactly the way iCloud id designed. Read through these forums and you'll see that many, many posters have lost their data to the cloud. I'm trying to find out how to start using iCal again, unconnected, but it looks like once you go to the cloud, you cannot just use the programs on your Mac alone. The post-Steve disasters have already begun.

Alain L wrote:

I was setting up iCal and decided to postpone the first sync to later. When I wanted to "Disconnect", I got the message that all data would be deleted from the Mac... of course the data would still be available for other iCloud connected devices.

Problem is that my Mac is the ONLY device sychronized to the cloud so far. It deleted my iCal files completely. I was lucky to uncheck the address book before iCloud could get to it. Thanks to Timemachine, I'm back to normal.

Is this normal that if I one day want to stop using the cloud service, it will delete everything from my Mac?

I can't believe this would be designed that way.

It is kind of messed up.

When you turn on iCloud, it converts calendars on your Mac to iCloud but does not give you the option to do it in reverse when turning off iCloud.

Suggestions here -> http://www.apple.com/feedback/icloud.html

There is only one solution if you are using iCal - DO NOT USE iCloud!!!!

You'll be sorry if you do. iCloud will mess up all your data and then delete the lot when you try recover it. I just had a very expensive lesson with that. Luckily I had printed out all the previous month. I just lost one month worth of data. iCloud is a royal pain in the lower back!!!

When you move to iCloud all your calendars are moved to the server and read from there by your Mac: so if you log out of iCloud on your Mac it can no longer read the calendars and thus they disappear. They are still on the iCloud server.

The solution is, while you are still logged into iCloud, to move the calendars to 'On My Mac'.

1. Select a calendar listed under your iCloud login name.
2. From the File menu choose Export...>Export. An .ics file will be saved at your designated destination.
3. Create a new calendar with the same name as the one you've just exported from, choosing 'On My Mac'.
4. From the File menu choose Import... Select the .ics file and choose to import it into the calendar you just created (make sure you don't import it into the iCloud version).
5. When complete, check that it's OK and then you can delete the iCloud version.
6. Repeat for other calendars.

Repeat for each iCloud calendar. I should hang on to the exported ics files for a bit as a backup.

(These instructions were originally written for MobileMe: I haven't tested them on iCloud but I would expect the process to be the same.

"There is only one solution if you are using iCal - DO NOT USE iCloud!!!!"

Only one solution to what?

"You'll be sorry if you do. iCloud will mess up all your data and then delete the lot when you try recover it."

I'm not sorry and nothing is messed up.

"I just had a very expensive lesson with that. Luckily I had printed out all the previous month. I just lost one month worth of data."

So you don't backup your data and instead rely on printouts?

When you add an event in the iPhone it will not be transfered to the iMac. When you add that event manually to the iMac it will be transfered twice back to the iPhone, you have that event 3 times on the iPhone. If you delete 1 of those entries all entries will disappear in the iPhone and iMac. And after that debacle with MobileMe (it will delete everything in iCal and Address Book when you stop using MobileMe) I keep always printouts!

@Chris CA, Although I understand that as long as you Do use iCloud, it looks like you "should" not see a problem. Although, I experienced... and it was corroborated by a few people in this thread ans others on the Net, that once iCloud is setup, your computer is no longer the master of your data...

As such, if, for any reason, you stop using it, you LOOSE all of your data.

So... not using iCloud seems to be a viable solution to not loosing control over your data. It does not seem to be a synchronization platform, but rather a centralized platform (the "cloud") that distributes the info on the devices.

I was not THAT sorry myself becaused luckily, I did not use it long enough to have data on the cloud that was not on my backups.

I don't rely on paper backup. I used Time Machine to get my iCal back... which that alone is not this simple when you want to restore an iCal database that is stored in a hidden folder. Thanks again to the Net for guidance.

In a nutshel, iCloud is NOT the solution for me.

well Chris, congratulations to not having the problems everyone in this discussion is talking about. If you have nothing further to add, besides "I don't know what you're talking about," you are excused. Thank you for your help.

Perhaps if you would stop and read what I responded to and what I actually wrote, you will have a clue.

The OP wrote it is broke and will not work and will mess up everyone's data.

Obviously many, many people have it working correctly. I never said the OP (or anyone else) is not having problem.

Make sure you are adding the event to one of the iCloud calendars.

And thanks for "excusing" me, but that is not your call.

"Lighten up Francis"

I find this amazing, shortly after Steve is gone the rot sets in! I feel the same despair and panic coming up when I used Windoze!

God help us!

Yes, personally I feel more secure the old way with my calendar on the hard disc. I have a gmail account and the calendar incorporated in it, synchronised with my iCal, gives me enough access to calendar information when I'm away from my home computer, or on my iPad. Also, what about the loss of the facility to attach files to calendar entries? I used that one! Can anyone tell me how to restore my pre-Lion system? If not I may have to invest in Busycal.

It's disappointing and selfish of Apple to force users into keeping iCloud by deleting all the saved data off the computer permanently, when signing out of iCloud. It's basically blackmail; keep iCloud or all your **** gets deleted. There isn't even an option to save it back onto the computer!!! Absolutely PATHETIC.

This is the kind of **** that used to set Apple apart from the others; things that made sense and a sense of care.

Well Apple you've blown it; thousands of people (perhaps even millions?) have lost their data because they have decided to stop using iCloud. I thought iCloud looked cool, but now I see that there is a VERY big catch.

Please, put an option there to copy data back to the computer; if you can copy all the data onto iCloud, then ethically you should have the ability to copy all the data back onto the computer. Please, have a sense of ethics and give users this option!!!

squidge_winkle wrote:

It's disappointing and selfish of Apple to force users into keeping iCloud by deleting all the saved data off the computer permanently, when signing out of iCloud. It's basically blackmail; keep iCloud or all your **** gets deleted. There isn't even an option to save it back onto the computer!!! Absolutely PATHETIC.

This is the kind of **** that used to set Apple apart from the others; things that made sense and a sense of care.

Well Apple you've blown it; thousands of people (perhaps even millions?) have lost their data because they have decided to stop using iCloud. I thought iCloud looked cool, but now I see that there is a VERY big catch.

Please, put an option there to copy data back to the computer; if you can copy all the data onto iCloud, then ethically you should have the ability to copy all the data back onto the computer. Please, have a sense of ethics and give users this option!!!

This option was never removed.

Open Address book then File > Export.

Turn off iCloud.

File > Import.

You should really check your facts before posting a rant and making yourself look foolish.

Read: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4901 and educate yourself.

So anyone who wants to leave iCloud has to find out how to get their calendars back.

Why not include an option "would you like to copy your information back to your computer?"

I was aware that there was a way; in fact I did it before I wrote the post.

It's just irresponsible for Apple to make it difficult for non-computer wizzes to get their information back... it's a convoluted way of getting your information back; even if it's easy for you, most people would have to find out how to get it back.

My beef is that they've made it less simple on purpose; so people say "crap, the only way is to use iCloud"