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iCloud data from old computer

I want to recycle a 2008 iMac BUT I'd like to keep the data on it in my iCloud drive. (the old data isn't on any of my other apple devices. If I clean the old iMac before recycling, will the data remain on iCloud after I remove that computer from my apple account???

iMac, OS X 10.10

Posted on May 11, 2021 10:20 AM

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Posted on May 11, 2021 6:02 PM

I would not rely on iCloud; since it is mostly a syncing mechanism rather than an archival backup, usually the data will disappear if you delete it off your Mac. If you want to be sure to have the data, the best thing would be to copy it to an external hard drive. That way you can also access it from your new Mac. You can then erase it from your old Mac and see if it still in iCloud or not - which won't matter since you have it on your external.

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May 11, 2021 6:02 PM in response to PhilColbert

I would not rely on iCloud; since it is mostly a syncing mechanism rather than an archival backup, usually the data will disappear if you delete it off your Mac. If you want to be sure to have the data, the best thing would be to copy it to an external hard drive. That way you can also access it from your new Mac. You can then erase it from your old Mac and see if it still in iCloud or not - which won't matter since you have it on your external.

May 11, 2021 10:25 AM in response to PhilColbert

Hi, you will have to back up all your date to your icloud, incase you need extra space you can but it.


Open System Preferences, click Time Machine, then select Back Up Automatically. Select the drive you want to use for backup, and you're all set. Back up with iCloudFiles in iCloud Drive and photos in iCloud Photos are automatically stored in iCloud and donʼt need to be part of your Time Machine backup.


Hope this helps.

May 11, 2021 10:30 AM in response to khajotia

The data is on my iCloud drive now along with data from a newer iMac I use. I just want to keep the old data there once I clean the 2008 iMac I'm going to recycle, so I can access from the newer iMac i use every day. I'm worried that if I clean old iMac and then "delete" it from my apple account, the old data may be deleted from my iCloud drive? I could back up old iMac but would like to just keep the data in my cloud account for access from other apple devices. ??

May 11, 2021 10:59 AM in response to khajotia

Thanks guys

i have uploaded files to iCloud Drive from old computer. (But I haven’t backed up this old computer)

i just want to be sure that by getting rid of this old computer and delisting it from my Apple account I won’t automatically cause iCloud to delete those old files I uploaded from in in past.

hope this explains my question better?

thanks again for your help

iCloud data from old computer

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