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User profile for user: SaffronB
SaffronB Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Documents unwillingly stored in iCloud

I have a MacBook Air that when I now try to save a document displays the message "out of space" below the icon. I am aware this is because my iCloud storage is full.


I do not want to use iCloud - I have purchased an external hard-drive and copied all my documents on to it.


The problem I now have is that, I do not actually know where my documents are saved to on my Mac! When I delete things off the iCloud, they also disappear from my desktop even though I thought I had copied them all from the iCloud to my desktop.


On finder, when I click 'Devices' and then 'My MacBook Air' / 'Macintosh HD' / 'Users' / 'Saffron' there does not appear to be a desktop? Is this where I need to save my documents?


How do I save my documents to my Mac and not the iCloud? and how do I then prevent this from happening again?!

MacBook Air 13", macOS 10.13

Posted on Jul 20, 2019 8:43 AM

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User profile for user: FoxFifth
FoxFifth
User level: Level 10
471,717 points

Posted on Jul 20, 2019 9:37 AM

See the following from Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support


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.


  1. From your Mac, go to Apple menu  > System Preferences > iCloud.
  2. Next to iCloud Drive, click Options.
  3. Deselect Desktop & Documents Folders.
  4. 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.


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Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: FoxFifth
FoxFifth
User level: Level 10
471,717 points

Jul 20, 2019 9:37 AM in response to SaffronB

See the following from Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support


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.


  1. From your Mac, go to Apple menu  > System Preferences > iCloud.
  2. Next to iCloud Drive, click Options.
  3. Deselect Desktop & Documents Folders.
  4. 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.


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Documents unwillingly stored in iCloud

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