I'm in a tough spot here. I'm a PhD student and I rely heavily on a folder called 'Codes' that has all my important work from my Master's until now. It's linked to my iCloud for backups, so I thought I was safe. But after my MacBook did an automatic OS update a couple of days ago, that folder vanished completely! I noticed it still shows up on my iPad initially, but as soon as it began syncing, the files started disappearing one by one. I ended up with only 4 files left on my iPad, but they're nowhere else. I've already contacted Apple support multiple times and even visited a Genius Bar, but they just told me it's likely gone for good and suggested I try a costly third-party recovery service. As a student, I can't afford that, and it's really frustrating because I thought iCloud was supposed to protect my data. I'm feeling lost here. If anyone has advice on either recovery options or what steps I should take next, it would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
This is definitely a tough spot to be in. But, ultimately, it's important to have your own backups. Even though you were using iCloud, it sounds like it was syncing rather than storing a backup. You should check if you can recover your files from a recent backup or see if your iCloud has anything in the recently deleted folder. Also, maybe look into some recovery software as a last resort. It's rough, but being proactive with backups is the lesson here.
Have you tried reverting your MacBook to a previous version of macOS? If possible, you might be able to restore it to a time before the update that caused the issues. Also, turning off automatic updates could prevent any similar situations in the future. It's worth a shot if you're not sure how to do that; just be careful with any potential data loss.
Sorry to hear about your lost files! Yes, iCloud mainly syncs files, so it’s more about having access across devices rather than being a solid backup. Definitely look into external hard drives or a third-party backup solution for your important work. Also, take a peek into iCloud’s recently deleted files section; you might just find something there. It's pretty frustrating when technology doesn’t work as expected.
Did Apple provide any insight into how the folder could just disappear? Sometimes glitches happen during updates, but it shouldn’t be this drastic. Keep checking your iCloud and also see any undelete software options you have on your Mac. It's complicated, but don’t lose hope! There’s sometimes a way to recover or at least get some data back.
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