Understanding the protocols of extracting and saving data from iCloud.

warren221 wrote:

I now wish to retrieve .docs from iCloud and return them to the normal Word format for saving and printing.

iCloud Drive stores files as is. The only difference is that some files on the Mac can be optionally stored as zero byte placeholders with iCloud Drive's "Optimize Mac Storage" setting and then downloaded from iCloud, if the user opens it.

Is your Word install up-to-date? Can you open .docx with LibreOffice? Can you use Finder to copy files to your local home folder from iCloud Drive? Do other documents such as .txt or .jpg open OK in other apps? Does your Internet connection work OK?

Try accessing your file from your browser by logging up your iCloud account on iCloud.com.

I don't quite understand what you're doing. If I work on a Word document and save it to my iCloud Drive, it appears as something like "Important Doc.docx" in my iCloud Drive folder. If I click on it in that folder, to opens up just like any other Word document. I don't know what "establishing .docx in a format that allows saving" can possibly mean. I don't get "return them to the normal Word format." When did you change them and how and to what?

The iCloud Drive folder is just a folder on your Mac. The only difference is that is copied to iCloud.com. So, since it's just a Mac Folder, what sort of trouble can you be having with formats?

Can you help us understand?

Data saved to iCloud is not modified.