iCloud

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I notice in this latest Mac updated (10.15.1) I now have a document folder and desktop folder in iCloud Drive. I don't use iCloud Drive because I have a iPad Pro and iPhone and when I sync my iPad Pro and MacBook Air it seams to mess things up, but not as soon as I stopped using iCloud. How do I delete the iCloud Dive folders and not the same folders and its contents in the system folders? Thanks teqmter
 
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2021 iMac 24" M1 512/16/8/8 Sonoma. 2013 iMac 20.5" 3.1 i7 16GB Catalina. iPhone SE 3rd Gen
In iCloud Drive identify all of the folders that exist, such as Documents and Desktop, then create a new folders in Finder called Documents New, Desktop New and any other folders ..New.

Download the contents of the Documents, Desktop and any other folders from iCloud Drive to their respective 'New' folders in Finder.

Turn off iCloud Drive and rename the Folders in Finder.
 
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On your Mac, go into System preferences. Select your Apple ID for iCloud. Then select iCloud Drive and make sure that Desktop & Downloads Folders are unchecked, this way they are not synced through iCloud Drive.


Sent from my iPad using Mac-Forums
 
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Before you do what Bob suggested (Turn off Desktop and Downloads) do what pine man said to do. That is key! As soon as you turn off the Desktop & Downloads, the files will be erased from iCloud and you lost them. Pine Man gets them back on your machine so that when you do turn them off, you have safe copies. You can then move them from the "new" folders to where you want them to be.

Lots of folks have lost stuff because they did this in the wrong sequence.
 
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teqmter
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Before you do what Bob suggested (Turn off Desktop and Downloads) do what pine man said to do. That is key! As soon as you turn off the Desktop & Downloads, the files will be erased from iCloud and you lost them. Pine Man gets them back on your machine so that when you do turn them off, you have safe copies. You can then move them from the "new" folders to where you want them to be.

Lots of folks have lost stuff because they did this in the wrong sequence.

thanks for the help
 
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In iCloud Drive identify all of the folders that exist, such as Documents and Desktop, then create a new folders in Finder called Documents New, Desktop New and any other folders ..New.

Download the contents of the Documents, Desktop and any other folders from iCloud Drive to their respective 'New' folders in Finder.

Turn off iCloud Drive and rename the Folders in Finder.

I am fed up with iCloud and want my documents etc on my computer in the filing system that I set and know where to find things. It seems since I have just bought a new iMac (updated from my old MacbookPro) that my files are not as I originally planned. I have gone onto iCloud drive as you suggested and in Finder opened new files for Documents, Desktop and Downloads but when I go onto the iCloud site to download my documents to the Documents New folder it appears as if the download icon is greyed out! Seems I'm a bit of a numpty 'cause i can't see how I can achieve my aim! I want to disable iCloud (I have Backups in Time Machine and an external disk) and keep stuff on my computer not floating around somewhere! Help please?
 
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I am fed up with iCloud and want my documents etc on my computer in the filing system that I set and know where to find things. It seems since I have just bought a new iMac (updated from my old MacbookPro) that my files are not as I originally planned. I have gone onto iCloud drive as you suggested and in Finder opened new files for Documents, Desktop and Downloads but when I go onto the iCloud site to download my documents to the Documents New folder it appears as if the download icon is greyed out! Seems I'm a bit of a numpty 'cause i can't see how I can achieve my aim! I want to disable iCloud (I have Backups in Time Machine and an external disk) and keep stuff on my computer not floating around somewhere! Help please?
Did you read my reply above (#3)?
 
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But before you do what Bob suggested, make sure you copy the documents to some other folder than Documents. What I think works is to keep logged into iCloud and create a set of three folders outside of Documents, Desktop or Downloads. Now copy whatever is in Documents to one of the three folders. That process may take a while, depending on your internet speed and number of files to be copied. Repeat for the other two folders. Once you have all three competed, you can then follow Bob's directions in #3 and disconnect from iCloud. At that point your Documents, Desktop and Downloads will show as empty because it's lost the connection (I think, I don't use it myself). Move the contents of the three new folders to the appropriate folder and then delete the three new folders.

I didn't suggest using TM because I don't know if TM actually backs up the real files from iCloud or not. I think it does not, but again, I don't use iCloud for Docs, Desktop or Downloads, so I have no real experience with it. But logic says that given the real files are NOT on your machine, TM won't back them up.

Maybe somebody who actually uses iCloud for documents will come along a correct my directions, but that is what I read somewhere.
 

IWT


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You are correct, Jake.

If you have files on any "Online Drive" (iCloud, Google, Dropbox etc) actually present on your Mac's HD, then Time Machine will back these up.

If the files are not on your Mac and only in "the cloud", then TM does not back up those.

Ian
 

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