Documents and Desktop folders not appearing on my Mac

I'm trying to get my desktop and documents folders to my iCloud, but I cannot see the relative tick box in the iCloud option.

Any suggestion?

iCloud System prefs

iCloud Drive checked

Click Options button

Select Documents tab

Topmost item should the Desktop & Documents Folders

If that is not there, are you running macOS Sierra?

This seemed reasonable and I was hopeful, so I unchecked iCloud Drive while it was taking forever to upload my Desktop and Documents Folder (I had expect it to copy the files, not move them – or copy them and hide them on my computer).

And then it asked me if I wanted to save a copy and I said yes, just to be safe.

And that was all. Nothing else. And I go to Finder and look for documents and I have a folder for "Microsoft User Data" and nothing else – all gone, at least to the naked eye. If they're hiding, they're hiding well.

I'm on a MacBook Pro running the latest version of High Sierra – perhaps that's different.

Any help would save my computing life. Thanks.

But I stopped the upload at about the 10% mark, so 90% of those files aren't on iCloud. I would have expected 10% grayed out on my computer, but depending on how I access Documents (either Finder or Word), they're either not there at all or they're grayed out.

Also, if I try to save something new in Word, the filename just disappears. I can't even save from Word on Dropbox – I have to save an attached file to Dropbox and then open it in Word to work on it. If I save it to Word first, then it just gets grayed out immediately.

Looking around now in Finder, I see that Pictures and Photos are all grayed out.

I tried rebooting, but nothing changes.

If I try to turn iCloud Drive off, I get this message:

If you turn off iCloud Drive, all documents stored in iCloud will be removed from this Mac.

This includes documents on your Desktop and in your Documents folder which will be available on iCloud Drive only.

And my choices are: Keep a copy / Cancel / Remove from Mac

I want all of my iCloud files and folders back on my Mac, so which do I choose. It certainly sound like "Remove from Mac" will delete files and folders on my Mac before I can move them from iCloud Documents to Documents locally. Since I read that this is an almost instantaneous process, I know that they will not be downloaded from iCloud back to my computer, but will simply create hard links – is that possible if I choose "Remove from Mac"?

Sorry that this is turning into an epic.

If you turn off iCloud Drive, all documents stored in iCloud will be removed from this Mac.

This includes documents on your Desktop and in your Documents folder which will be available on iCloud Drive only.

And it means what it says as I stated above. They will still remain in iCloud Drive. You can then move them to your home Folder Desktop & Documents folders.

The options to keep a copy or Remove from Mac are new and I can only assume it was added to clarify the situation. It apparently hasn't.

I don't know what "keep a copy" does.

I assume Remove from Mac is the same as it was and as I described.

It certainly sound like "Remove from Mac" will delete files and folders on my Mac before I can move them from iCloud Documents to Documents locally.

I'm not sure why it sounds like that. To me, it sounds like they will only be available on iCloud Drive and not available on your Mac until you move them from iCloud Drive to your Mac--but then, they've never actually been removed from your Mac. It's all Finder "smoke and mirrors."

I know that they will not be downloaded from iCloud back to my computer, but will simply create hard links – is that possible if I choose "Remove from Mac"?

That's what I assume that means.

well i read and i wanted the files to load on to icloud as i had just purchased 200 gb.. after all the files disappeared from teh dektop when i went to my icloud i saw the files were not even there .. if that has happpened i may as well go jump off and end my life cos my lifes work was there..

im in the middle of peak season and i have no work files.. i know therell be a few jokes cracked at my expense but im honestly suicidal now cos i have nothing on me now to handle the next three events coming up ..

please help ..

You seem to have understood the problem, which I have been experiencing--knowledgable mac user has checked everything correctly in system preferences (yes sync, no optimization) and yes the Finder shows no documents or desktop folders in icloud drive. yet visiting icloud.com reveals they are all indeed there. So something is not working correctly. (many comments assume the user has not read what icloud drive is)

This has happened to me a few times this month, and the plist idea was genius. Thank you for your help.

I discovered this exact thing today too!
Since I don't have a clue how to access iCloud, this pretty much *****! I did find them by searching, and pulled the files back on to my desktop. Not a fan of apple deciding what I wanted to do with my files...

Do you see an option in your Finder Sidebar to show Desktop

http://www.macworld.com/article/3098804/data-center-cloud/how-to-use-icloud-driv e-s-new-desktop-and-documents-access-in-…

http://www.imore.com/how-save-your-desktop-and-documents-folder-icloud-drive-mac os-sierra

Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support

I'm trying to get my desktop and documents folders to my iCloud, but I cannot see the relative tick box in the iCloud option.

Any suggestion?

Thanks,

Alessandro.

Yes, that's exactly the path I've followed, but the "desktop and documents" tick box is not there.

I'm running on El Capitan

xaci wrote:

Yes, that's exactly the path I've followed, but the "desktop and documents" tick box is not there.

I'm running on El Capitan

It's not available in El Capitan.

Ah, ok ... I actually wasn't able to find this info and I was going crazy....

Thank you very much!

An addendum: No files or folders show up in Finder, but if I go to Word for Mac and look around, the entire structure of my folders and files is there – it's just that everything is grayed out.

So this means that if I'm ever without an internet connection I can still call up any file in Documents and work on it and save it?

Yes.