iCloud > Documents and Desktop

[Bazza1]

Well, that's disconcerting - one of the 'features' of the new OS is for the iCloud service to be able to auto-sync your Documents & Desktop files to it . If you didn't deal with it during the installation process (love the idea of offering a new service during install, without any explanation as to what it means. But I digress....), you can access it via System Preferences > iCloud > iCloud Drive > Options. I left it till after the install and explored the option from there.

Not unreasonably (I thought) I expected that it simply uploaded copies of my Documents and desktop to the service, leaving the originals in situ on my computer. Not so, as I soon discovered. I went looking for my Documents folder in my User folder on another matter and found it gone! Everything was moved to the iCloud folder (as now found in the Finder sidebar) and opening / saving files from the desktop shortcuts was accessing them from there - and from there, then sync'ing to the iCloud service.

I want my computer to have my files on it. In a folder created for that purpose. In my User Folder. Not elsewhere. Sure, I 'get' there is a folder with my stuff on it elsewhere still on the computer and that's what syncs with iCloud. I like the idea of backups - always have. I use Dropbox, but again, I manually copy the files I want backed up to it's folder - I don't expect (or want) to use it as my primary storage location. And that's not what I wanted from iCloud.

Reverted back with some hassle - disabling this 'feature' returns a Documents folder to your Folder - but empty. Some copy / paste involved to get back to where I wanted to be.

Don't expect me to be happy with telling me what I really want, Apple.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Is there a question you want to ask the members or are you simply sharing your thoughts?

 

[Bazza1]

Is there a question you want to ask the members or are you simply sharing your thoughts?

Thoughts / warning, insofar as Apple less than forthcoming about what this feature does during installation and even less so if one thinks about doing it manually afterwards. No mention of this feature actually removing Documents from User Folder, nor that it will not restore Documents with all files in it back to User Folder if you later decide to turn it off. Doing so, you are then notified the existing files in the iCloud > Documents folder will remain there, but local versions are deleted. This results in a restored Documents folder - and the need to manually download / copy the files back it it.

Not thoroughly thought out, though I have since seen warnings / reviews posted elsewhere about the, ahem, 'limitations' of this feature.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Thoughts / warning, insofar as Apple less than forthcoming about what this feature does during installation and even less so if one thinks about doing it manually afterwards. No mention of this feature actually removing Documents from User Folder, nor that it will not restore Documents with all files in it back to User Folder if you later decide to turn it off. Doing so, you are then notified the existing files in the iCloud > Documents folder will remain there, but local versions are deleted. This results in a restored Documents folder - and the need to manually download / copy the files back it it.

Not thoroughly thought out, though I have since seen warnings / reviews posted elsewhere about the, ahem, 'limitations' of this feature.

Oh okay. I just didn't know what to make of your post when I initially read it. That's all.

 

[MaxSmarties]

Are files stored in Documents and Desktops still available offline ?

 

[MaxSmarties]

Just did a quick check. Turned off wifi, open iCloud folder in the Finder and the files seem to be there, available even if I'm not connected to the web.

 

[Bazza1]

Just did a quick check. Turned off wifi, open iCloud folder in the Finder and the files seem to be there, available even if I'm not connected to the web.

Oh, I had no doubt that it creates a local folder for these within my Mac (not unlike, say, Dropbox) - but its placed in the iCloud folder and your files no longer reside in User Folder > Documents (for example). It location switch just makes me nervous, and I would have been a lot happier if the sync simply copied from the original location. I mean, its not as if we're asking an Apple product to access a 3rd Party App storage location, we'e asking one Apple app to sync with a folder the MacOS already has created.

 

[tenaciousl24]

It seems like there's no way explicitly check and uncheck folders within your documents either... can't be...

 

[MaxSmarties]

Oh, I had no doubt that it creates a local folder for these within my Mac (not unlike, say, Dropbox) - but its placed in the iCloud folder and your files no longer reside in User Folder > Documents (for example). It location switch just makes me nervous, and I would have been a lot happier if the sync simply copied from the original location. I mean, its not as if we're asking an Apple product to access a 3rd Party App storage location, we'e asking one Apple app to sync with a folder the MacOS already has created.

Today something weird happened: I was looking for a file (a little pdf, stored in the same folder as other files that I was using) and when I tried to open it the Finder said an internet connection was necessary to access the file.
I had to turn on the hotspot of my Mobile (I'm traveling for job) to actually open the file....
I'm not entirely happy about this. While I'm happy to have access to my files from every device everywhere, and I'm happy to have some space spared on my MBP 13" (with a 128 Gb SDD), I'd like to have a more precise control about which files I need "offline".
I think I just have to rearrange my folders to keep "offline" contents out of Documents and Desktop.

 

[Bazza1]

Today something weird happened: I was looking for a file (a little pdf, stored in the same folder as other files that I was using) and when I tried to open it the Finder said an internet connection was necessary to access the file.
I had to turn on the hotspot of my Mobile (I'm traveling for job) to actually open the file....
I'm not entirely happy about this. While I'm happy to have access to my files from every device everywhere, and I'm happy to have some space spared on my MBP 13" (with a 128 Gb SDD), I'd like to have a more precise control about which files I need "offline".
I think I just have to rearrange my folders to keep "offline" contents out of Documents and Desktop.

This can't be good! I wonder though if you may have enabled another setting which is moving (not copying) files not often used over to the iCloud? Have you, for example, enabled, About this Mac > Storage > Mac HD > Manage > Store in iCloud? Or System Preferences > iCloud > iCloud Drive > Options > Optimize Mac Storage?

Its a good idea gone horribly wrong - I've got all my stuff back on my Air and am only using iCloud as a secondary backup - albeit not as regularly as Dropbox. And neither service is being used as the primary storage location, from which to retrieve or store.

 

[MaxSmarties]

This can't be good! I wonder though if you may have enabled another setting which is moving (not copying) files not often used over to the iCloud? Have you, for example, enabled, About this Mac > Storage > Mac HD > Manage > Store in iCloud? Or System Preferences > iCloud > iCloud Drive > Options > Optimize Mac Storage?

Its a good idea gone horribly wrong - I've got all my stuff back on my Air and am only using iCloud as a secondary backup - albeit not as regularly as Dropbox. And neither service is being used as the primary storage location, from which to retrieve or store.

yes, Optimize Mac Storage is enabled... and that exactly is the point. I'm happy about the "optimisation", but I surely would like to have more control about what is moved on the cloud only