How do I delete files from iCloud but NOT from my Macbook?

Yes I did. It says to me erase files on your hard drive and then recopy from iCloud. Wouldn't it make more sense to be the other way around. Keep files on your computer and erase the iCloud. I know it doesn't say that but it seems to be backwards from a customer's point of view if the goal is to cancel using iCloud.

This will solve the iCalendar issue as well?

Peace, Huey

Thanks for the reply. That's what I finally did.

But I am still confused on iCalendar. I can't get the calendar info that appears on iCloud to go to the desktop version. There must be a way but I haven't found it yet. I export to Calendar Archive and then open by selecting restore that archive it is empty of info??

Peace, Huey

Experimented by deleting just one document from icloud and it also deleted from hard drive. Unchecking deletes from hard drive , Not from icloud. Seems backwards. Don't want to risk deleting all contents of documents folder on hard drive. Isnt there a way to free up space on icloud without having to reinstall documents from icloud first?

Thank you, that is what I ended up doing, but FIRST, I had to back up all my documents and data files to an outside source, like a My Passport hard drive or Carbonite, then delete them from my computer. I'm not going to lie ... that made me VERY nervous. Then, I changed the settings in my iCloud Preferences so those items do not back up to iCloud, as you suggested. Then, I copied ALL my Documents, etc., back onto my computer. Took a few days but it's all good now.

Alright, here is the easiest fix I could find:

BafflingSteveo is correct. If you add a .nosync to the end of any folders/files you don't want synced, then it removes them from iCloud.

So, I have a folder on my desktop with a bunch of pictures in it that I do not need backed up (or other documents/files/whatever). I changed the folder name from 'pics' to 'pics.nosync'

Not only does this protect it from future uploads to iCloud, but it also immediately removes it from the cloud while keeping it on the computer. With this removed, I now have a lot more space available in iCloud and am not constantly inundated with messages about low storage.

You don't need to add .nosync to every file (although you can). You only need to add it to the folder which houses the files you want off iCloud but still on your computer. So, for another example, if you have a dozen large files, you can create a folder called iCloudSucks.nosync and move those files to this new folder.

It is actually a pretty easy fix, although it is still dumb that you can't just tell iCloud to stop syncing without losing your data.

Hope this helped.

*side note: I was on the phone for 40 minutes with very nice people at apple who were unable to help me. If I understood it correctly, their fix was to uncheck the box to sync iCloud. They assured me that, although my files would disappear from my computer, the files would be safely stored in the cloud. I think the plan was pretty much the same thing as moving everything to an external storage device, un-syncing and then moving everything back, except they would have had me use iCloud in place of the external storage device.

Do you have an external drive you could copy some of your larger files to?

Did you ever find a solution that worked without deleting everything?

THANK YOU! I appreciate your response! Happy New Year!

Is there a short cut to checking all documents are copied back to my Mac BookPro before deleting from iCloud? I have rather a lot!!

If download originals to this Mac is checked in the Photos Preferencs ==> iCloud and if the status is updated just now then all originals should be on your Mac

LN

Well when I uncheck in iCloud desktop I get this

Did you read it.

Do you really think that access to your files should be had without the password that protects you from others accessing your account?

I guess we aren't communicating on this. I was talking about a procedure not passwords. But thanks for replying.

Peace, Huey

Not storing them there in the first place is another, and better way.