I recently enabled iCloud backup on my MacBook Pro, specifically wanting it to back up only my Documents folder. However, I ended up syncing both the Desktop and Documents folders. After noticing that it was using up all my storage, I turned it off, but then all my folders that I had on my MacBook for years vanished. I had to turn iCloud back on to retrieve them. When I tried to manage my iCloud account and delete some unnecessary Desktop folders, I discovered that it deleted them from my Mac's desktop as well! Can anyone help me understand how to properly turn off iCloud sync and restore my MacBook to the way it was before? Additionally, I'm curious about what happened to the deleted folders. Thanks!
1 Answer
Just to clarify, on Mac, there's actually no 'iCloud Backup' but rather 'Desktop & Documents' syncing. When you delete a file in iCloud while syncing is active, it also goes away from your Mac. If you turn off iCloud Drive, a new Desktop and Documents folder will be created in your home directory. You can also opt to keep a local copy of files currently stored in iCloud Drive when you disable it. Look for an option in the settings to keep local copies—then they'll be saved in a folder labeled ‘iCloud Drive (Archive)’ within your home folder. Good luck!
So basically, I can’t just switch off the sync and get my desktop back to how it was? I’m guessing any changes I made while it was on stick? Could you explain how to keep my files locally again? Thanks for helping!