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My MBAir now has 2-layer desktop.

Most of the time I use a Mac mini M1. Occasionally I need to shut that down and use my old MacBook Air, as I am now. The MBA works fine, as far as I can tell, but there is one glitch: The MBA desktop is confusing because 60-75% of the blue folders now have a second, overlaid, folder with a familiar title. The title is familiar because the folder is from my Mini. Somehow, my laptop MBAir 's desktop now includes the desktop of my Mac M1 Mini. I don't recall requesting (at any point) that the laptop Mac include the desktop of my table-model desktop Mac, so why is this happening, and how can I wipe away the contents of my Mini Mac from my MB Air?

MacBook Air 11″, macOS 11.7

Posted on Sep 21, 2024 2:15 PM

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3 replies

Sep 22, 2024 8:19 AM in response to Birck Cox

If you want to turn off the Desktop and Documents option of iCloud Drive, see the following from Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support


Turn off Desktop and Documents

  1. From your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Settings. In macOS Monterey or earlier, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences. 
  2. Click Apple ID, then click iCloud.
  3. Next to iCloud Drive, click Options.
  4. Deselect Desktop & Documents Folders.
  5. Click Done.


What happens when you turn off Desktop and Documents

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.


or if you want to completely turn off iCloud Drive, see the following from the same Apple Support article:


What happens when you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud

If you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud, a new Desktop and Documents folder is created in your home folder. You also have the option to keep a local copy of your files that are in iCloud Drive. If you keep a local copy of your files in iCloud Drive, they're copied to a folder called iCloud Drive (Archive) in your home folder. You can move any files that were in your iCloud Desktop and Documents to your new local Desktop and Documents.


How do you turn OFF icloud drive - Apple Community


My MBAir now has 2-layer desktop.

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