David Knecht
Level 2 (225 points)
Mac OS X

Q: delete documents from iCloud

I was looking into iCloud backup for a friend and whether it backed up documents from a Mac (as opposed to iPhone).  The literature indicated it would backup files from the Mac.  I turned on Documents in the iCloud prefs and then Options and it only listed iWork applications.

1.  Does that mean iCloud will only back up those types of documents?  That would make it pretty useless.

2.  When I unchecked the Documents box, I got a message saying that if I did this, it would delete all documents stored on iCloud FROM MY MAC????  I uncheck it in the hopes that in the few seconds it had been active, nothing had been backed up, but whats the deal?  This would mean that if you signed up for iCloud backup, you would have signed in blood and Apple would have you by the throat by not allowing you to change your mind.  I can see deleting files from iCloud, but that is not what it said.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Mar 7, 2015 5:51 AM

by léonie,Solvedanswer
léonie léonie
Level 10 (108,894 points)
iCloud
A:

In Mavericks, (my OS) there is nothing called iCloud Drive.

O.k.  you may want to update your profile signature for the Apple Support Communities. Your original post says "MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.3)"

 

In Mavericks you can use Documents in iCloud, but only from iCloud ready applications. If you want to store other document types in iCloud, upgrade to Yosemite and iCloud Drive.

 

In Mavericks, if you sign out of iCloud for a specific app, the copies of the iCloud documents will be removed from your Mac, but then documents will remain in iCloud.  If you want to be able to use this documents after signing out of iCloud, relocate them from iCloud to your Mac.

 

One way to relocate them back would be to open the iWork documents that you moved to iCloud and to save a copy in a folder on your Mac.

Posted on Mar 7, 2015 12:02 PM

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David Knecht

Q: delete documents from iCloud

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  • Helpful answers

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Mar 7, 2015 6:06 AM in response to David Knecht
    Level 10 (108,894 points)
    iCloud
    Mar 7, 2015 6:06 AM in response to David Knecht
    I was looking into iCloud backup for a friend and whether it backed up documents from a Mac

    There is no iCloud Backup for a Mac - have you been trying out iCloud Drive to store documents in iCloud?

     

    iCloud Drive is not meant as a backup, but as a central storage for selected documents in iCloud, that you want to access from all Macs.

    So, if you store documents in iCloud and and later decide to sign out of iCloud, you can no longer access the documents in iCloud. Your local shadow copies of the iCloud files will be removed, but the documents stay on iCloud  Drive.  You can access them again, if you enable iCloud Drive again.

     

     

    See this Help document:  iCloud Drive FAQ

     

    There are two types of folders in iCloud Drive:  Application collections and Custom folders.  The Application Collection folders are for iCloud aware apps that can sync with iOS counterparts, iWork, Preview, TextEdit, etc.  But you can store any kind of document in custom folders, just create a folder of your own. Only, the files must not blearier than 15GB.

  • by David Knecht,

    David Knecht David Knecht Mar 7, 2015 7:00 AM in response to léonie
    Level 2 (225 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 7, 2015 7:00 AM in response to léonie

    This is still pretty confusing.  I don't plan to use this for backup because I use Time Machine and see no reason to do both, but I want to understand it.  In Mavericks, (my OS) there is nothing called iCloud Drive.  It is just called iCloud and it lists Documents as something it can "store".  Sure sounds like a back up.  There are also no folders you can set up that I see.  Just a choice of Documents.  I am guessing iCloud Drive is specific to Yosemite.  But I am most concerned about the message that it will delete all documents from your Mac when you uncheck it. 

  • by léonie,Solvedanswer

    léonie léonie Mar 7, 2015 12:02 PM in response to David Knecht
    Level 10 (108,894 points)
    iCloud
    Mar 7, 2015 12:02 PM in response to David Knecht

    In Mavericks, (my OS) there is nothing called iCloud Drive.

    O.k.  you may want to update your profile signature for the Apple Support Communities. Your original post says "MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.3)"

     

    In Mavericks you can use Documents in iCloud, but only from iCloud ready applications. If you want to store other document types in iCloud, upgrade to Yosemite and iCloud Drive.

     

    In Mavericks, if you sign out of iCloud for a specific app, the copies of the iCloud documents will be removed from your Mac, but then documents will remain in iCloud.  If you want to be able to use this documents after signing out of iCloud, relocate them from iCloud to your Mac.

     

    One way to relocate them back would be to open the iWork documents that you moved to iCloud and to save a copy in a folder on your Mac.