my files are in iCloud Drive Solved

Question

Hello,

Without me doing anything special, all my folders that were on the Desktop are now on iCloud Drive; I want to find them back on the desktop

how to do it? I’m trying to move some folders from iCloud Drive to the desktop and I get the following message: see attached image

I see that "Documents stored in iCloud Drive are synced across all your devices and accessible on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC, or on iCloud.com." ; but that doesn't interest me.

thank you
Françoise

Configuration: OS X High Sierra 10.13.4
MBP 15 inches
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15 inches, mid-2015)
2.2 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

OS X High Sierra 10.13.4
MBP 15 inches
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15 inches, mid-2015)
2.2 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Thank you. Françoise

*_Francis_* · Accepted Answer

Hello Françoise,

You checked the box "Optimize Mac Storage"...

In this case, when you run out of space on the Mac, iCloud moves the least used files to the cloud.

--
Always provide your system configuration in full - exact computer model, exact OS version.

*_Francis_* · Answer

Hello Françoise,

Check out these messages:

https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-34433049-problemes-icloud#1

https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-35176451-probleme-memoire-macbook-13#2

See you later

--
Always specify your system configuration completely - exact model of computer, exact OS version.

FB78410 · Answer

Thank you, Francis,

I suppose that to save space locally, you activated the Desktop and Documents option in System Preferences / iCloud / Options... well no, actually, I didn't activate anything at all....
--

And I wanted to go back by dragging the folders that were in iCloud Drive to the Desktop, and I received a message saying that I was out of space... I pay Apple for additional storage

I called Apple, who had me go through some steps to revert my setup to the original state, it's horrifically long, apparently

I hope it's going to work, and I can't find on my MAC your procedure for going back.

Françoise

OS X High Sierra 10.13.4
MBP 15 inches
The MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, mid-2015)
2.2 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Thank you. Françoise

*_Francis_* · Answer

I wanted to go back and slide the folders that were in iCloud Drive to the Desktop, and I got a message saying I was out of space... I'm paying Apple for additional storage

well no, actually I haven't activated anything at all....

maybe I did, but without really realizing it...? in any case, it looks that way... that said, I'm not claiming anything, as I'm not in front of your computer.

Note that you can very well buy iCloud space but not enable "Desktop and Documents Folders" in the system preferences. This way, you remain completely in control of what is on iCloud Drive and on your Mac locally.

--
Always specify your system configuration completely - exact model of computer, exact OS version.

FB78410 · Answer

here is what Francis has always been

and

--
OS X High Sierra 10.13.4
MBP 15 inches
The MacBook Pro (Retina, 15 inches, mid-2015)
2.2 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Thank you. Françoise

FB78410 · Answer

Francis,

I contacted Apple support, a great supervisor… who showed me via screen sharing how to stop the process, and I was able to copy all my files to the desktop.
Everything is back to normal.
Thank you again for your help and have a good evening.
Françoise

--

Memory 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Thank you. Françoise

tatine05 · Answer

Hello,
I'm reaching out to you because you were helpful with other issues...
and now I find myself with my iCloud almost full even though I have already bought more "space" 200 GB
this happened since I updated to "Mac OS High Sierra"
I have no need to back up my documents and my "Desktop" to iCloud because I have a sufficiently large hard drive! There is still space...and on top of that, Time Machine works very well
I only want to store my photos so I can have them on all my devices as well as my "contacts," "Reminders," "Notes," etc.
I'm in the same situation as "FB 8410" to whom you offered your assistance earlier!
I'm not sure if I was clear enough?
Thank you in advance Tatine05

*_Francis_* · Answer

Hello Auntie,

The photos:

To have all your photos in your Photos library (or iPhoto), you must have the iCloud settings in your System Preferences / iCloud... set this way:

but also have the Preferences of the Photos application set this way
:

Note: the "My Photo Stream" option is optional, but it allows you to have your latest photos taken with an iPhone or iPad automatically placed in the photo library.

=-=-=

Next, for the case of Desktop and Documents, (I did these various actions to show you.) :

To avoid having your Desktop folder or your Documents folder on iCloud, you need to have the System Preferences / iCloud set like this:

In the case of "Desktop and Documents," how does it work? :

Under "normal" circumstances, that is to say without iCloud, the files placed on the user's desktop and in the Documents folder are stored locally on the Mac.
If then, in the System Preferences / iCloud..., you enable the "Desktop and Documents" option, the entire Documents folder, as well as the Desktop (the Desktop is a folder like the others), will be transferred to iCloud. And you will find these 2 items in the Finder sidebar under the iCloud section:

These items will have disappeared from the local sections. And if later you disable the "Desktop and Documents" choice, you will get back a Desktop and a Documents folder in their usual places on the Mac, but the Desktop and Documents folders from iCloud will remain on iCloud Drive, not visible in the sidebar, and will no longer be synced with the user's activity. Therefore, you will need to manually retrieve the content of the Desktop and Documents folders that remained on iCloud Drive. The system also warns us when we disable the "Desktop and Documents" option in the System Preferences / iCloud:

So, if you have enough local space, disable this option, then go to iCloud Drive to recover the content of the Desktop and Documents, which you will delete from iCloud Drive once copied into their local folders.

Thus, when everything that was in the iCloud Desktop and Documents folders has been copied into their respective local folders on the Mac, and the iCloud Drive ones have been deleted, with the trash emptied, you should find your space equivalent on iCloud...

If I forgot something, I'll get back to you...

Best regards.

tatine05 · Answer

Hello, thank you again for your valuable help
I successfully completed the steps you described so well in a "step by step" manner
I put everything back in my "local", the documents and the Desktop, but my Desktop: the one in front of my eyes is all "Clean": there’s nothing left: everything is in the "Desktop" folder, it feels strange... but maybe it’s better this way?
thanks again Tatine05

*_Francis_* · Answer

Good evening,

in "the Desktop folder" ...?

your screen always displays the contents of a desktop folder. The one that is active, either the one found in iCloud when "Desktop and Documents" is enabled, or the one directly at the root of the user's session name when "Desktop and Documents" is not enabled ....

The desktop folder, in classic mode, (and thus without iCloud), is normally located at the root of the user's session name ...

--
Always provide your system configuration completely - exact model of the computer, exact OS version.

My files are in iCloud Drive

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