All my files moved to iCloud

[samanuel]

Hi,
i have been struggling really bad ever since I updated my imac pro to Sonoma. Altho I’m not sure if it’s because of Sonoma or because I upgraded my icloud to higher storage (i did both at the same time). I’m using my imac strictly for music production. But ever since i updated the os I’ve started noticing all my files and recording sessions I had in my computer started disappearing. After searching I found them in the iCloud section. I don’t understand as I never changed anything in any of my settings, never moved my files there (they are bug files and i need to have them in my computers hard drive for them to work properly) so I am honestly very confused how could that happen. Especially them being completely removed from my computer. I thought icloud would at best only make back ups but not move the, there and delete them on my mac. Now most of my sessions wont work properly, there is a whole mess and if files arent completely deleted they are in different places….it completely messed up everything i have been building for many years. So i am desperate now and am coming as a last resort to ask for help. Could someone be so kind and please help me find a way to get it all back? When i tried to copy one file from icloud section back to my computer it looked like its doing so but then i couldn’t find the file on my computer. When i tried again it said “The item can’t be replaced because it’s invisible”. Honestly i would just like to go back. Before I updated to Sonoma, before i upgraded icloud (i did that on my phone but still affected my computer like this). Is there a way i could use my TimeMachine to just change my comouter back to the way it was before all this?
I’m sorry if all this seem stupid.
Sincerely
Thorn

 

[AppaSquatic]

That's strange. I believe what's happened is that you've got "Optimise Files" enabled (or Apple has enabled it), such that macOS thinks it's saving your disk space by moving your files to iCloud. I'm not an expert, but if you use the File Pinning feature like here:

Pinning - How to Download Your Files

then it might solve your problem? I think you'd then have to disable the Optimise Files option to avoid confusion on your next update. I didn't find the automatic iCloud file migration at all obvious either, but I think that article might help.

Good hunting!

 

[Fishrrman]

Turn off "manage storage" -- completely.
Turn off iCloud.

I have NEVER permitted iCloud or the OS to "manage" my storage.
I can manage it quite well enough on my own, thank you very much.

 

[ptchristy]

Hi,
i have been struggling really bad ever since I updated my imac pro to Sonoma. Altho I’m not sure if it’s because of Sonoma or because I upgraded my icloud to higher storage (i did both at the same time). I’m using my imac strictly for music production. But ever since i updated the os I’ve started noticing all my files and recording sessions I had in my computer started disappearing. After searching I found them in the iCloud section. I don’t understand as I never changed anything in any of my settings, never moved my files there (they are bug files and i need to have them in my computers hard drive for them to work properly) so I am honestly very confused how could that happen. Especially them being completely removed from my computer. I thought icloud would at best only make back ups but not move the, there and delete them on my mac. Now most of my sessions wont work properly, there is a whole mess and if files arent completely deleted they are in different places….it completely messed up everything i have been building for many years. So i am desperate now and am coming as a last resort to ask for help. Could someone be so kind and please help me find a way to get it all back? When i tried to copy one file from icloud section back to my computer it looked like its doing so but then i couldn’t find the file on my computer. When i tried again it said “The item can’t be replaced because it’s invisible”. Honestly i would just like to go back. Before I updated to Sonoma, before i upgraded icloud (i did that on my phone but still affected my computer like this). Is there a way i could use my TimeMachine to just change my comouter back to the way it was before all this?
I’m sorry if all this seem stupid.
Sincerely
Thorn

2017 iMac Pro only owner. Sequoia 15.0.1 ... see appended About This Mac.
I am unaware of the problem you described, so it is not just Sequoia on an iMac Pro. What it is likely as others have suggested is that Sequoia defaulted to a different iCloud storage management 'scheme', perhaps to offload non-essential files?

You're at a fork in the road ... manage your own storage as a responder suggested, which presumably avoids the predicament you are in. Me ... I used to, but for at least a decade and certainly since my iMac Pro was new I surrendered that to Apple's iCloud. I have no expectation, much less competence to reverse course now, but I am impressed by those who can!

Unless you have the competence to "roll your own" storage management I think it best to press on. Start with the obvious ... do you have plenty of iCloud storage and is "most of it" free. Rule of thumb ... free space should be at least as much as used and preferably much more.

Is your iMac Pro all that it can be? Mine was a maximum configuration in 2017 and I've enjoyed the delight of having the computer wait for me rather than the reverse, but it is starting to show its age. When new it ran stone cold silent ... the fans were idling, the enclosure was cool and delays were imperceptible. Would you believe that seven years later editing my address cards in Contacts brings it to its knees? That's what having over nine thousand contacts will do, which is on me ... the iMac Pro handles it, but slowly and with lots of "beach ball spinning".

 

[kevcube]

Hi,
i have been struggling really bad ever since I updated my imac pro to Sonoma. Altho I’m not sure if it’s because of Sonoma or because I upgraded my icloud to higher storage (i did both at the same time). I’m using my imac strictly for music production. But ever since i updated the os I’ve started noticing all my files and recording sessions I had in my computer started disappearing. After searching I found them in the iCloud section. I don’t understand as I never changed anything in any of my settings, never moved my files there (they are bug files and i need to have them in my computers hard drive for them to work properly) so I am honestly very confused how could that happen. Especially them being completely removed from my computer. I thought icloud would at best only make back ups but not move the, there and delete them on my mac. Now most of my sessions wont work properly, there is a whole mess and if files arent completely deleted they are in different places….it completely messed up everything i have been building for many years. So i am desperate now and am coming as a last resort to ask for help. Could someone be so kind and please help me find a way to get it all back? When i tried to copy one file from icloud section back to my computer it looked like its doing so but then i couldn’t find the file on my computer. When i tried again it said “The item can’t be replaced because it’s invisible”. Honestly i would just like to go back. Before I updated to Sonoma, before i upgraded icloud (i did that on my phone but still affected my computer like this). Is there a way i could use my TimeMachine to just change my comouter back to the way it was before all this?
I’m sorry if all this seem stupid.
Sincerely
Thorn

Were they all saved to your desktop? iCloud will automatically sync your desktop to iCloud because that's where most Mac users save most of their files, leading to a high risk of data-loss with drive failure. What others are describing "optimize storage" simply removes copies of cloud files from your local machine if you're running low on storage. It does not move any files.

I think it's possible that your files have been in iCloud all along, but your local copies were removed to make room for downloading the update. If you copy them from iCloud to a folder that exists only on your machine (not Desktop or Documents) then you'll be able to use them as regular. Otherwise you can view them in iCloud, right-click, "download now" or "keep downloaded" to always have them available.

See the settings below - if you have "Desktop & Documents Folders" enabled then your files have always been going to iCloud, and the local copies were just removed.

It would really help us if you could post a screen recording of what error you're seeing.