I mistakenly moved all my apps and documents to my I Cloud drive. I have a music program that cannot retrieve files because they were moved. How do I return the files back to where they were on my hard drive??
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Mac Pro, macOS 12.7
I dragged this folder back to my desktop, when I open the files in it they open and see the rest of the files in the folders but I STILL see the apple iCloud logo next to the folder on the desktop.
Drat, no images.
By the way, I just decided to sync Desktop and Documents yesterday, just to see what happens. I'm sure we can figure out the rules...
When I look at my users' folder I see this:
I have no Desktop or Documents folder.
In iCloud I have this:
That's where Documents and Desktop now reside.
So when I look at the "Desktop" on my computer, I'm really looking at the contents of the iCloud Desktop folder. That folder is also mirrored on my Mac-- if I click on one of my Desktop documents, it pops up immediately because a copy of the file is also in a hidden place in the Mac Users Library.
However, if you have "Optimize Storage" checked in System Settings>Apple ID>iCloud, then some documents may be removed to save space locally, and then they would be grabbed from iCloud as needed.
The purpose of iCloud is to synchronize all our devices. I can see and use my desktop files on my iPad. And if I change a file from my iPad, it changes on the Mac, too.
Ah now we are getting somewhere, so I dragged all the files and folders back to my desktop and as I mentioned and they STILL have the iCloud logo next to it. I would think if the I Cloud logo had an arrow along with it that means there is a copy ???of the files on iCloud?
Either way your saying open I Cloud drive and turn OFF the desktop documents sync OR turn off sync docs and desktop THEN move folders back and this will complete the move of the files back to where I had them , correct?????
Below is screenshot when I turn OFF sync docs and desktop so before I hit plz advize
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My iCloud Drive looks like this:
The clouds indicate that it has been copied to iCloud.
I don't know about an arrow, but I just dragged a Photos Library to iCloud Drive, and it looks like this:
The cloud has a line through it, because a Photos Library can't be put into iCloud. Photos Libraries must be local. So this Library disappeared from my Pictures folder, and it is now in the hidden folder in my Library with other items that are in both the hidden folder and at iCloud-- but this one isn't in iCloud. I will drag it back to the Pictures folder, and it will disappear from iCloud Drive-- it will really be moving from the hidden folder to Pictures.
As for this
If you have "Optimize" checked in System Settings>Apple ID>iCloud (mine is not turned on)
then you've asked the Mac to remove some of your files from local storage (in that hidden folder) to save space, knowing that the Mac will grab them from iCloud when you need them. If you now turn off iCloud syncing, you will no longer have those files on your Mac. But you can go to iCloud and drag them to your Mac if you no longer want to save that space.
muguy wrote: Once you move a file/folder into a location that does not sync to iCloud, it is downloaded as part of the move.
So, I guess, if you're syncing your Desktop & Documents (System Settings>Apple ID>iCloud>iCloud Drive,) then it does you no good to drag a folder back to the Desktop or to Documents. You could make a new folder in your User space (I have one called Home, for instance) to hold these files. Or you could turn off Desktop syncing.
Apps copied to the iCloud Drive don't seem to actually move there-- an alias is placed in iCloud Drive, but the original file remains in Applications.
Wow this is getting more confusing as I go on here. Maybe I'm not clear, let me try again
image 1 is a folder I dragged from I Cloud Drive to my desktop.
As you can see it has the I Cloud logo next to the name of the file.
Image 2 is the open folder and you can see the iCloud icon with THE ARROW.
AND on the bottom you can clearly see the path I Cloud Drive Desktop and Folder Name.
HOW do I get the folders and files from iCloud to my desktop?
( for the reply Once you move a file/folder into a location that does not sync to iCloud, it is downloaded as part of the move.)
Do I remove the desktop from syncing to iCloud drive????????????
It us STILL in th Cloud drive follow??????
This is frustrating.
Anyone????
Drag the files back to where you had each stored using finder.
tried that, still see the cloud logo next to the files when I drag the folders out of I Cloud Drive back to desktop.
Does it take a while to copy over then the cloud logo disappears?
Once you move a file/folder into a location that does not sync to iCloud, it is downloaded as part of the move.
How can I move files back to my hard drive from iCloud drive?
