Can I change what seems to be the default save place (iCloud) for Preview to someplace on my computer instead. I don't want to automatically save to iCloud.
iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)
You can change the destination of anything you are saving by changing it in the save dialog window; I just opened Preview to save something and chose my Desktop:
If your window shows iCloud, then just navigate to either your desktop or any folder you'd like.
However, I need to ask: I don't understand how iCloud is showing up as a destination in a Preview window - what kind of file are you trying to save exactly?
Launch Preview, and when the dialog box appears, click on On My Mac ( the words are actually a button):
MtD
It's a photo copied from a tutorial on the web. I used control/click to copy it from the Safari page and then opened it as a new document in Preview. Did a little cropping as I needed it for putting it into my document and then saved it so I could insert it into that doicument. What comes up as a default for "Where" is iCloud. I have worked a lot with doing this type of work and until I upgraded to Mountain Lion yesterday, iCloud did not come up. I'm so used to not having to even look at that part that it's frustrating to have to keep remembering (after forgetting at first, of course). I'd just like it to default to my computer instead. If I want it on iCloud, I'll put it there myself.
I don't get that dialog box when I open Preview. I'm afraid the only place I've ever seen that box is where you just pasted it in. How do I gwr to it? I just tried closing Preview and opening it again... but still no dialog box, and I don't see any place in any of the menus where I can open one.
Okay, I just fooled around a little bit more and discovered that if Preview is already open and then I click on it in the Dock, I get a window that's headed Preview--Documents and has the menu from the Documents folder. This is a first for that and I've been on Macs forever... Is it new with Mountain Lion. Now I'm really feeling out of it <g>. And yes, I do have the iCloud and On My Mac buttons in the upper right corner. If I make sure that's what that window says before I save something, will it go to my computer as a default?
Sorry, don't know what to tell you, if I open Preview directly - by double-clciking the Preview icon, then I get this dialog box - not by clicking on a file and having that action open Preview.
Maybe someone else can help.
MtD
I just tried saving after clicking on the On My Mac button as I wondered about in paragraph 2 of my last message. Nothing's changed... the default save location comes up as iCloud... which, of course, I can change. I'm just trying to get it back to where I don't have to do that every time. It's an interruption to a mind that has been doing it the other way for a long, long time.
Thanks for your reply anyway.
Hi,
I have never seen that window - I do not use iCloud except for an occasional email, so I have an account set up, but do not sync, etc. I just checked every setting and option on iCloud as well as in System Prefs and was not presented anything Preview....
Is this Preview app different from the regular Preview? If I open Preview, all I get is the opportunity to open a file (or it opens a file automatically).
I'm getting the same thing on Pages and Numbers. Since ML I'm getting cloud showing up both to open a new file and save a file. Guess we will just have to put up with it.
MtD
I have the same version of Preview - could it be because I do not have any apps in iDevices or iCloud (no Pages or Numbers there)? My Preview resides in the Applications folder and acts the way it always has: default app to open .pdf's, jpegs, etc., but other than that, does nothing.
Interesting - I also do not get the window you are showing (and have never seen it) - having chosen not to use iCloud, does it have something to do with Back to my Mac and sharing? Did a search and got this:
Unless you have some iCloud compliant programs on the iPad and the Mac I don't think that you will see the option to save there. iWorks is one set of programs and there are some 3rd party apps.
Ahh, thanks - that would solve the mystery - although I have iWork on my iMac, I do not have anything on any iDevice and iCloud is not activated to do anything (except allow me to send an email occasionally using the website).
However, back to the OP's question: even if you have iCloud activated, can you not get the Save dialog and opt to change the default setting to desktop or whatever folder you want to save the file to?
I was about to say yes, why not, until I looked.
Although I get an Open dialog with the choice of iCloud or On My Mac as a location I don't get the corresponding dialog when I save. It seems to default to wherever I opened it from. New Documents saved to the last save location.
And I remember that it did offer a choice so now I have to see what happened 😟 or not, I don't use it.
Thanks, appreciate it. I'm already baffled at seeing Preview within iCloud, but not being able to save a file to a location of my choosing would make me drop iCloud right then - I prefer being able to choose the location something is being saved to.
Thanks to all of you for the good conversation. I agree with several of you who have said you guess this is just something we're going to have to put up with... and I, too, can't figure out why they'd put this in as a default. I've saved nothing to iCloud. The only thing I'm doing that I guess would be using it somewhat is keeping my contacts and my calendar coordinated between my iMac, my iPad, and my iPhone.
I guess we can hope that Maverick will fix this, although I'm afraid what I've seen with each new edition is heading more into the floating in clouds behavior rather than less. Sighhhhhhhh.... certainly isn't enough to make me even remotely consider leaving Apple/Mac, but frustrating just the same.
Oh, and btw, I tried to give everybody a "This helped me" star since it seems this isn't a solvable question. However, the opportunity to dish out points disappeared after I clicked on the first two, so I'm sorry to anyone else that I didn't give you any. The conversation at least let me know I wasn't as fumblesome as the problem was making me feel, and for that, I really appreciate you all.
Can I change what seems to be the default save place (iCloud) for Preview to someplace on my computer instead. I don't want to automatically save to iCloud.
