iCloud on my iPhone and iMac is full of Desktop and Documents items that I don't want in iCloud. The iMac iCloud window shows storage is almost all Documents. How do I stop iCloud from holding/synching them and how do I delete them from iCloud with also deleting them from my iMac hard drive?
macOS High Sierra (10.13), iMac, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air
Sounds like you have Desktop & Documents turned on under System Preferences>iCloud>iCloud Drive>Options. Here are instructions about how to turn off that function (please pay close attention to the last paragraph which I have emphasized):
Turn off Desktop and Documents
When you turn off Desktop & Documents Folders, your files stay in iCloud Drive and a new Desktop and Documents folder is created on your Mac in the home folder. You can move files from iCloud Drive to your Mac as you need them, or select all of your files and drag them to the place you want to keep them.
> System Preferences > iCloud.If you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud, you have the option to keep a local copy of your files that are in iCloud Drive. Whether you decide to keep a local copy or not, a new Desktop and Documents folder is created in your home folder. If you choose to keep a local copy, your files in iCloud Drive are copied to a folder called iCloud Drive (Archive) in your home folder. Then you have the option to move any files that were in your iCloud Desktop and Documents, back to your new local Desktop and Documents.
Best,
GB
Sounds like you have Desktop & Documents turned on under System Preferences>iCloud>iCloud Drive>Options. Here are instructions about how to turn off that function (please pay close attention to the last paragraph which I have emphasized):
Turn off Desktop and Documents
When you turn off Desktop & Documents Folders, your files stay in iCloud Drive and a new Desktop and Documents folder is created on your Mac in the home folder. You can move files from iCloud Drive to your Mac as you need them, or select all of your files and drag them to the place you want to keep them.
> System Preferences > iCloud.If you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud, you have the option to keep a local copy of your files that are in iCloud Drive. Whether you decide to keep a local copy or not, a new Desktop and Documents folder is created in your home folder. If you choose to keep a local copy, your files in iCloud Drive are copied to a folder called iCloud Drive (Archive) in your home folder. Then you have the option to move any files that were in your iCloud Desktop and Documents, back to your new local Desktop and Documents.
Best,
GB
I'm with you re: System Preferences>iCloud>iCloud Drive>Options steps. Don't understand the New Desktop and Documents creation on my iMac in the "home" folder. Where is the "home folder"? Also, your emphasized last paragraph also confuses me. I have a Desktop with my folders and files and I have a Documents folder and Downloads folder in Finder, both of which have all my items. When I "lost" all my Desktop items and Documents for some reason I don't understand, Apple Tech Support had me do a Restore from a Seagate Backup Hard Drive I keep connected to my iMac. But that did not remove the Documents from my iCloud 5GB storage/synch. I don't need to set something up to recover missing items. I need to just get the excess out of the iCloud 5GB to return it to -0-. How does this fit with your instructions? I'm going slowly as this is unfamiliar territory for me and I don't want to lose everything again.
Your home folder is your user folder.
Oh, so you were just asking about how to clear out some documents from iCloud Drive? If that is all you are asking to do, you would simply select the items you don't want in iCloud and either move them to a folder in your finder by dragging them to the selected folder, or if you don't want them at all, then move them to the Trash.
If that is not what you are asking, then can you clarify?
Best,
GB
In the thread you wrote - I need to just get the excess out of the iCloud 5GB to return it to -0-.
Open system preferences - click on iCloud - manage - select the application like notes and click on delete documents and data and whatever data stored in notes will get deleted , apply same with photos and others .
But before following the above steps you must archive the documents - open system preferences - iCloud click on sign out .
Click on keep a copy an archive folder will be created that can be viewed by opening finder take cursor on top menu bar and click on home .
In the archive folder all the data is saved .
How delete iCloud documents withou losing
