empty desktop and documents folders

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Level 1

8 points

empty desktop and documents folders

I recently had to erase my iMac's hard drive due to a persistent startup problem. It seems to be working well now, system has been reloaded, files restored, and otherwise fine. But my desktop and documents folders are not showing the files that are in them. They do appear on my laptop and are in the web based iCloud drive. All the right boxes are checked in system preferences. Is there a way to make the files visible?

iMac (27-inch, Late 2013), macOS High Sierra (10.13.6)

Posted on Sep 12, 2018 6:10 PM

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Answer 1

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leroydouglas

Community+ 2024

Level 10

183,822 points

Sep 12, 2018 6:48 PM in response to handsdeb

look in icloud drive

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.

From your Mac, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud.
Next to iCloud Drive, click Options.
Deselect Desktop & Documents Folders.
Click Done.

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.

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

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Answer 2

Eric Root

Level 10

684,045 points

Sep 12, 2018 7:14 PM in response to handsdeb

Try going to System Preferences/iCloud and stop iCloud Drive syncing by unchecking the box. Wait a couple of minutes, then check syncing.

Last resort - have you tried signing out of iCloud and then sign back in?

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Answer 3

handsdeb Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 12, 2018 7:01 PM in response to leroydouglas

I have already done steps 1-4, and have not turned off iCloud. The folders for Desktop & Documents do appear in my Finder sidebar, but they are empty. All the files are there on my laptop, which also has all the same settings. Before I did my hard drive erase all files appeared where they should on both computers. I went to icloud.com and signed in, and all my files are in there, but just don't appear on my iMac.

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empty desktop and documents folders

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