Help Me Stop iCloud Sync in Mac OS Sierra!

I have a LIMITED data plan. Just upgraded to Sierra OS. I need to know how do I get my documents and all the files I had on my desktop back onto my desktop without re-download them? I use a Verizon Jetpack as my wifi. I am in an area that has no (as in ZERO) wifi. I hope you have an easy solution.

I noticed that as soon as I upgraded the Sierra my MacBook Air used up its battery power far more quckly. My husband has the same computer and saw no change so I figured out it was the huge amount of data that the backup is dealing with that could be the problem. So I wanted to revert back to not using the Icloud drive. The solution mentioned on here looked liked a good one but when I tried to do it, the files could not be moved back because there wasn't enough space on my hard drive because it had all been taken up by Icloud Drive! So no documents on the computer as all had been moved to Icloud drive but hard drive capacity no different. So I get on to Apple and they say to get my documents back on my computer I have to move them off the cloud to somewhere else e.g. usb stick or drive then delete everything off the Icloud drive so I get the space back on my hard drive. Then transfer the documents back in. It is 17gb

Slowly losing the will to live.

Hello David, Thank you for the help, but my Mac won't allow me to uncheck Optimize Mac Storage in iCloud Preferences setting. All my Desktop files keep uploading and say waiting. HELP? Please????

It keeps reading: If you continue, documents on your Desktop and in your Documents folder will be visible in iCloud Drive only. No documents will be deleted from iCloud Drive. Can you help please?

I thought it was fixed but just ended up with problems with XP so had to reload from timecapsule back 24 hours. Now I just live with it as it does not affect the battery.

Why Apple selected this small upload Limit I don't understand

Thank you. I did as you did and it helped me. I have multiple computers in my office and on update it did the exact same thing.

Good to note, the update created a folder on my Desktop of my old Desktop with all the previous files in it. None of this was, of course, explained or highlighted very well in the new version's installation process.

I am sure this thread will help thousands since we all can't afford the 1TB iCloud services. Thanks again.

Thank you!

Your "Jason Snell" solution worked

I had to play around to get my desk back as this darn "improved" feature had removed my desktop folder on my Mac. But I got it to work. True, my documents folder has old stuff I should trash. But I want full control and want my items "close to the chest" on MY Mac.

I can appreciate the usefulness of total cloud storage for folks using tablets or MacBook Air But this improved feature should be one clearly brought to the user to choose to use or not When installing the OS

THANK YOU again!

it took me a few times trying to uncheck. I closed and re-opened the iCloud preference Suddenly I saw that Optimize checkbox was clear. I said "Done" and fled

I LOST MY Paralles Windows VM too! **** macOS iCloud Opt. removed it totally, I cannot ebven find it in my icloud folders. O cannot even dselect to ignore the folder. How do I get all my crap back wothout having to use timemachine every time to get my Parallels Files for the VMs back?'

The only way I got my Parallels back was deleting everything of my computer back to new and using my time machine to load the previous day before you lost Paraels.

I love your las sentence. Sums up the way I feel about spending a precious Sunday messing with files I had nicely tucked on documents and on my time capsule-- AND that I do not need on my MacBook air!

I did this as well and then discovered all my files deleted. After unchecking the desktop and document box in system preferences and iCloud, I went to the iCloud drive folder found by going to finder, and copied; however, you have to wait until they are downloaded back to your computer before you can simply drag them from that folder. Since they were on the cloud and not your computer, they will have to download back to your computer first. You should see the progress of the download by opening the folder and looking at the files. Once they are all downloaded, you should ONLY THEN drag them back to your desktop and document folder in your home drive. This took an hour and a half to download all my desktop files back.

Hi David,

I followed your directions. Now there is no documents folder or desktop folder in iCloud. Unfortunately, all the folders but no files transferred. Is there anyway, short of using a backup, to get my files back?

Thank you,

Ron

Have you looked at iCloud Drive in Finder?

I did by hook and crook get my files back to my Mac. I also thought I turned off those pesky iCloud default settings

But it seems that third party apps are being programmed to use this iCloud storage feature

After getting all my docs and desktop files back on my Mac I opened up a third party app I used a week ago. MacGourmet Pro. Recipe collection

I had upgraded to neeest version on my old Mac. This when launching the app I could not find my recipes. They were all safely in afolder inside my document folder on my Mac. But the app had created a new Library in the iCloud drive document folder

Grrrrrrr!!!

Not sure howIdid it but by 2:00 AM Igotthe app to recognize my existing recipe library

The company publishing the app also got a peice of my mind!