iCloud Drive has deleted all my Documents and Desktop folders

Your argument was that it did it automatically, and that is where you are misinformed. Only the option to turn on Desktop & Documents causes an automatic upload of data to iCloud Drive. If you do not turn on that option, then you decide what goes into iCloud Drive and what does not. And if you wish to keep a totally separate copy of said item on your local drive, you can do so by saving it to a separate, local folder as well as to iCloud Drive.

GB

A similar thing happened to me. Only I could still see my files in the all files. However, they weren't in documents or in iCloud Drive. So what I finally was able to figure out is that on the desktop, you have to click the "Go" tab then click home and retrieve the files from the iCloud archive folder that shows up there. Hope this helps anyone having a similar problem. If you can't find the archive in home, go to computer and then search.

Hi LAC,

Signing out of iCloud will cause an Archive folder to be generated. I have never used the Desktop & Documents option, but any time you sign out of iCloud, you have the option to save the contents of iCloud Drive, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders. It then states that you will find the saved data in file called "iCloud Drive (Archive) in your Home folder". 🙂

It really doesn't give you the option to not do the save. You can un-check the options, but there is no obvious way to not actually proceed with that step. The only buttons on the dialogue box are "Cancel" or "Continue".

Anyway, I just signed out and checked the Archive Folder, and even though I had all of the boxes checked, the only thing that you can see in the folder is the contents of iCloud Drive. But, it is all there.

GB

STCav wrote:

I've avoided opting in to iCloud Drive precisely because it removes documents from the local machine. Having read this thread, I'm minded to ask: does Time Machine keep backups of files that are stored in iCloud Drive?

Sorry, but you are misinformed. iCloud Drive does not remove documents from the local machine. If you choose to use the Desktop & Documents option in iCloud Drive, then your Desktop contents and your documents will be stored in iCloud Drive so that they can be shared with other computers and iOS devices. But, unless you are out of room on your hard drive, it also keeps a local copy so that you can work offline if needed.

I do not have the Desktop & Documents option turned on for my iCloud Drive, and I have complete control over what documents are stored in iCloud. I can also store documents in both iCloud and on my hard drive if I wish.

I don't know if Time Machine keeps copies of what is in iCloud Drive when you do a backup that way. But, again, if you want a local copy of what is in your iCloud Drive folders, you can copy and paste them to local folders if you wish.

Cheers,

GB

The big "unless" is not buried, it's common sense. If you start storing tons of information on iCloud Drive, do you think that your local drive is going to magically expand to keep all of that data? Possibly if you would read the literature on iCloud Drive you would get a better understanding on how it works and what it is intended to do:

The same is true of iCloud Photo Library. What can be kept in full resolution on your iOS device or computer is kept there. However, if you are storing a lot more photos than can be stored on your device, the iOS dynamically reduces the number of full-resolution photos and replaces them with thumbnails that need to be downloaded.

The same is true of the contents of your iCloud Drive. The Optimization process dynamically puts older documents back into iCloud Drive only, and leaves the ones you work with regularly on your hard drive. You have the option, at any time, to download any document that is only in iCloud Drive so that you can work with it offline.

So, if you want to have the sharing capabilities of iCloud Drive, then you need to understand that it does not expand your Mac's memory. It is a virtual drive that houses documents and data, and to the degree that it can keep those documents and that data on your Mac, it does. But if you exceed the capabilities for keeping all of that information on your limited memory Mac, it holds it in the cloud for you until you select to download it for editing purposes.

GB

I was experimenting with iCloud drive and didn't want to actually wait for it to upload 2.4 gigs. I cancelled it, and then all my files were deleted. Just horrible design on Apple's part.

And this is a design flaw by Apple because ... ?

If you had waited, or if you did wait, your files will be put back. Impatience is not a virtue.

Sorry, but you are misinformed. iCloud Drive does not remove documents from the local machine. If you choose to use the Desktop & Documents option in iCloud Drive, then your Desktop contents and your documents will be stored in iCloud Drive so that they can be shared with other computers and iOS devices. But, unless you are out of room on your hard drive, it also keeps a local copy so that you can work offline if needed.

You begin: "Sorry, but you are misinformed. iCloud Drive does not remove documents from the local machine."

Later, you get around to: "unless you are out of room on your hard drive, it also keeps a local copy" i.e. iCloud Drive will remove documents from the local machine.

That's a big "UNLESS" you buried there.

Also, note that iCloud Drive does NOT wait until you are "out of room" before deleting local files. I had 117 GB available on my drive and iCloud was already deleting to beat the band.

This offered in the spirit of fair play & clarity.

I completely agree with you.

This just happened to me. Lost about 2.4 gigs of data. I was experimenting with iCloud drive and didn't want to actually wait for it to upload 2.4 gigs. I cancelled it, and then all my files were deleted. Just horrible design on Apple's part.

Good design prevents people from making mistakes. In the case that humans make mistakes (which is inevitable), good design prevents catastrophic results. This is a case of bad design.

Though the modal that appeared did warn that files in iCloud would remain and local files would be deleted, my files were not completely uploaded to iCloud yet -- less than a megabyte had been uploaded. I assumed they couldn't possibly get deleted, since I technically had nothing "on the cloud" and in iCloud drive yet. If somehow they were magically uploaded in that short period of time, then in worse case, I could download them. Instead, all the files disappeared.

Since you mention virtue, I hope you'll take this to heart: being kind and compassionate are also virtues worth practicing.

Thanks for joining in on the conversation and being totally insulting. Do you have anything to contribute, or do you just troll forums to see who you can disparage?

Had you continued to read the ongoing conversation, you would realize that a poster brought up the Archive file. And sorry if you don't like it, but if you interrupt any process mid-stream, you are taking a risk that things will be bungled up.

And, as one of the other posts stated, there was a warning indicating that the files would be deleted from the local drive.

A Time Machine backup is all that is needed to restore the information to your local drive. I didn't design the way iCloud Drive works, I didn't design the way that the Sierra set-up works. And, again, they are not "taken away". They are put into an Archive Folder. Probably before the upload is started. I don't know since I didn't turn on Desktop & Documents.

If you want to join in then have some respect for your fellow users. I did not insult anyone. I stated the facts in response to an inflammatory statement made by the original OP. Flaming is prohibited on this forum, so I would suggest that you might want to read the TOU before you post again.

GB

Recognizing your mistake, I want to offer condolences.

In my view it is beyond stupid and unconscionable for Apple to EVER remove files from a person's local drive unless explicitly requested to do so. The instructions for iCloud are so poorly written and confusing, and the operation of its removal of files from local drives so vaguely delineated, that the only sensible course of action with regard iCloud is to AVOID IT ALTOGETHER.

Really, get Dropbox plus some other online backup.

JMHO.

In my view it is beyond stupid and unconscionable for Apple to EVER remove files from a person's local drive unless explicitly requested to do so.

Since iCloud is specifically NOT a backup up but is designed and advertised as a syncing service one certainly expects it to do what it is designed to do and that is to reflect every change (addition, deletion or edit) made to one connected device on all connected devices - so by definition deleting form any system is explicity requesting a deletion form every system

It pays to learn how things work rather than assume they work the way you thinking they should - making unwarranted assumptions is always going to leave you frustrated and confused

LN

"Sorry, but you are misinformed."

Well, that's precisely what you said in your first response on this thread: "When you select the option to use iCloud Drive for Desktop & Documents, that is exactly what it does - it removes them from the local drive and puts them on iCloud Drive." So if I have been misinformed you are among the misinformants.

Later in your answer you outline an approach for having complete control of what's stored in iCloud Drive. I, too, have an approach, which is to avoid it completely. I use Dropbox for synchronising and a Time Machine external drive for one form of backup. The whole iCloud Drive, Desktop & Documents, etc. arrangement seems flaky and imprecise to me and your latest response to my questions confirms my judgement.

Thank you for your time.

SC

The files are not being deleted, they are being moved to your local folder for sychronization: /Home/USERNAME/Library/Mobile\ Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/

If you cancelled the process just mv the files back into your regular home folder.

I just got off the phone with a senior tech support at apple. All my desktop files are gone and no way I know or this tech either how to get them back. They're gone. All I did was switch off desktop backup in the Icloud drive manager a week ago because storage was almost full. This is what the geniuses at the apple store told me to do. Started up the computer after a week trip and found the desktop empty.