iCloud clusterf***. Please advise re deleted files.

[CoopersDad]

Hi all.

I'm confused by iCloud and have a new iMac and new Macbook Pro.

Shortcuts to iCloud folders used up all the free space on the MBP and it seemed to be OK to drag the shortcuts to the trash, hoping that those folders and files would stay in my iCloud account.

Apparently I was wrong and the files are gone and I don't even see a way to recover them per apple instructions in this apple page:

https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud-windows/recover-recently-deleted-files-icw27848c5a3/icloud

Any suggestions?

TIA

[Phoenix61]

1. Have you tried this?

Recover files deleted from other apps
In Settings on iCloud.com, click Restore Files (in the Advanced section).
Select each file you want to restore, or select Select All.
Click Restore.

[CoopersDad]

4. Trying that now, thanks!

over 2000 files, may take awhile

[Bread and Circuses]

2. Call Apple

Call Apple, it's free. They will walk through your settings to ensure that all your devices automatically load to iCloud. There should be an earlier version of your folder that you can use to update.

[CoopersDad]

5. Thanks, yes, definitely worth trying if other approach is unsuccessful.

I mean there has to be a restore capability, I paid for applecare on both units and have pay for iCloud, too.

What's frustrating is that it's difficult to find out how to free up harddrive space when iCloud keeps so many files on the local drive.

Clearly I need to learn how to use it more effectively.

[CoopersDad]

3. Some progress?

It's taking forever to load but there seems to be an advanced function in iCloud settings.

https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/recover-deleted-files-mmae56ea1ca5/icloud

[Tetrachloride]

6. I am on a low internet budget.

I keep my files on my Mac, backups on phone and external drive

Some people use iCloud for constant use. The strategy is up to you.

Make liberal use of your time with AppleCare. They will try to make you sign up for paid tutorial.

In general, welcome to Mac. Mail me in DU anytime.

[usonian]

8. Definitely call Apple first. The internet is going to confuse you.

Second, or any old time --- Try this, log into icloud.com with your icloud account name and password.
Check to see what's there. Everything should be.

I recall that Apple puts your home directory by default in iCloud (D'oh!!!)

I undo a damn lot of Apple "defaults" when I set up anything.
Hopefully, you only deleted the links to those files, which still exist in iCloud.
I can't say how to get them back "home" for real.

I back up all my systems with an external disk the same size as the internal one, and I use SuperDuper. It's free for just such a "mirror" job. The external disk becomes an exact copy of the internal one. It's even bootable, they say. Tedious, since it is not incremental. It's a disaster recovery system. Going to do that as soon as I back up whatever devices I have to the system disk. That way, they are also backed up.


Oh, and I totally agree with others who use an external disk to store almost everything. The internal disks are expensive, and unless you have a terabyte, are too small to hold everything you download, and all your e-books, pictures and videos and so on.

Best part of this is that you can take that disk elsewhere, like a friend's house and show off gigabytes of great photos you saved there. Try dragging your iMac around. It also is easy to put in your evacuation kit (we have wildfires).

At home, another system can find it as "shared" on your home network, so you don't have to move it around.

HTH

[CoopersDad]

9. Thanks everyone, Apple support helped but so did all of you.

Going to advanced led to where I could undelete files but "select all" wasn't working with 2,345 files.

Or so it seemed, lag time in recovery resulted in error messages when the files actually were being recovered-- the interface timed out but the recovery was working fine.

Next time I need to make space on the MBP, Julie recommended I call for a tutorial.

I'm still unhappy with how iCloud gobbles up local drive space and need to take time to learn more about archiving away from iCloud unused files and folders and just be a better housekeeper that way.

And settings in iCloud, maybe not sync every damned thing!