Level 1

56 points

How to move documents from icloud back to mac

I recently decided to use icloud to store my documents. I now discover there is no longer a folder for Documents on my Mac. The Documents favorite is also missing from my Finder with no option to add it back. The only option and thing I see in Finder is Documents under iCloud. I want to stop using icloud for storing my documents. How do I get all of the documents back onto my Mac? I tried to create a "Documents" folder under my user but it comes back and says it already exists. I can't find it. Help!

Posted on Oct 3, 2016 6:53 PM

Top-ranking reply

chnmurali

Level 1

9 points

Posted on Jan 22, 2017 9:42 PM

I have tried like this, System Preferences- iCloud - click options infront of iCloud Drive - deselect desktop and documents folders . Then it will prompt whether to have the copy on local, if you click that it will take you to finder showing the documents folder in iCloud . Just select all using Ctrl A, Copy all, click documents shown under favourites in the side bar, paste all items there. Then we can delete the documents from iCloud. I have all my files on Mac now.

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28 replies

Dec 8, 2017 12:12 AM in response to Steve Davidson

Yes, agreed. Helpful - though Apple won't allow me to select that choice here!!

Jan 4, 2018 10:27 PM in response to Eric Root

I did try dragging the folders with files to the desktop. They ended being moved within iCloud to the desktop.

This is incredible frustrating.

Going back to dropbox......

Jan 15, 2018 9:27 PM in response to mdb288

"i think that many on this thread are not looking at things in the correct manner..."

Apple's new slogan: "you're doing it wrong." For that, I can get a PC.

Mar 8, 2018 3:34 AM in response to j.h.m.a.

Thanks - you just saved my life there.

lilliasa

Level 1

8 points

Jul 31, 2017 12:33 PM in response to Eric Root

It minimizes everything and shows me the desktop picture. In the center is a small message that reads "No available windows". I can right click and get the usual options, but cannot rearrange them or even pull them off to delete them. It is weird. I'm betting it is a setting somewhere but even Apple Tech Support could not help me on Friday....

Eric Root

Level 10

686,669 points

Aug 1, 2017 11:50 AM in response to lilliasa

Might be a corrupt .plist.

Do a backup, preferably 2 backups on 2 separate drives.

Quit the application.

Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist. Move the .plist to your desktop.

Restart the computer, open the application, and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.

If the application is the same, return the .plist to where you got it from, overwriting the newer one.

Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this.

Aug 2, 2017 9:32 AM in response to j.h.m.a.

This was very helpful, thank you. I thought it would take ages to send them back over from iCloud to Documents folder but it was amazingly quick! Then they disappeared from the iCloud drive which is what I wanted.

Thank you

roncarr Author

Level 1

56 points

Oct 4, 2016 3:41 PM in response to Eric Root

Thanks Eric. I got it working last night. If you look at my reply to Steve you'll see what I did. There's got to be an easier way.

Oct 5, 2016 7:55 PM in response to roncarr

That makes sense. Not exactly the legendary Apple "ease of use."

Thank you.

Feb 26, 2017 12:34 PM in response to j.h.m.a.

Perfect and straight forward - thanks

zlatnik

Level 1

17 points

Mar 7, 2017 2:59 PM in response to j.h.m.a.

Thank you! This solved the problem.

Apr 5, 2017 4:21 PM in response to roncarr

**** you icloud

Eric Root

Level 10

686,669 points

Jul 31, 2017 11:45 AM in response to lilliasa

What happens when you try to rearrange the Dock icons?

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How to move documents from icloud back to mac