Copying user data to a new user account

[JedNZ]

iCloud Drive doesn't work on my primary user account on macOS 14.6.1 on my cMP 4,1>5,1. Files saved in iCloud Drive don’t sync down - there’s nothing on the ~/Library/Mobile Documents folder at all. I no problems accessing iCloud files on my iPhone or iPad. I have about 30GB of user data in iCloud Drive.

Problems started when I inadvertently deleted iCloud files from ~/Library/ to try to help sync iCloud Drive.

I have signed out of iCloud, restarted, reset NVRAM etc to try and get iCloud Drive to sync but no go. I have recreated all iCloud folders and files by manually copying them from a Monterey Time Machine backup - to no avail. iPhoto, Calendar, Contacts etc all work fine under iCloud -it’s just the iCloud Drive that’s broken.

I created a new user account and logged into iCloud on it and it syncs iCloud Drive perfectly.

I really do not want to do a full reinstall of macOS Sonoma and then try and copy back my user data using Migration Assistant or Tine Machine Restore because iCloud Drive is clearly broken on that user account. I also have 2.7TB or user data so a clean reinstall and restore will take days after iCloud syncs everything up (Photos has 500GB of photos and videos alone, plus design, web and video projects etc).

I’m wondering if there’s a way to copy all my user data (including ~/Library/ data) to a new user account, or if there’s a better way to go about this. Again, everything is working fine except for iCloud Drive.

 

[Fishrrman]

I'll offer a suggestion as to how I've moved data from one account to another.
Might work for you.
Be aware that the amount of data I've moved wasn't as large as yours, but the principles are still the same.

First
You'll need an external drive, HDD or SSD. SSD is faster but HDD is cheaper.

Next
Connect the drive to the Mac with the "source" account (the data that will be copied).

Then
Copy the home folder (of the source account) to the external drive.
Of course, it will take a while.

Next
When that's done, log out of the source account, and log INTO the "target" (new) account.

Next -- to overcome permissions problems, do this:
Click ONE TIME on the icon of the external drive.
Bring up the "get info" box for that drive (you can type comand-i)
In get info, click the lock icon and enter the password you're using for the NEW account.
Put a checkmark into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions).
Close get info.

Now you can copy items from the source account to the target account, and anything you copy will now "come under the ownership" of the NEW account.

AT THIS POINT, SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF:
You CANNOT copy "the first level of folders" in the account.
These are the folders named documents, music, movies, photos, library, etc.
HOWEVER...
You CAN copy files and folders that are INSIDE OF the first level of folders.

So... set up windows (one showing the source, the other showing the target) and copy as necessary.
You'll probably find it best to KEEP HANDWRITTEN NOTES as you work, so as not to go in circles.

Copying items in the Library folder can be tricky. Some things can be copied and "still work", but some other things may not. You just have to "find this out on your own".

Yes, this is a lot of work.
But it will get the job done.
There's probably an easier way, but I always do things "the long way".

One other thing:
I suggest that you STOP permitting iCloud and the OS to "manage" your files.
(that is, move some to iCloud, leave others "on drive")
I have never permitted the OS to do this.
I want to MANAGE MY OWN FILES, thank you very much (shouting is intentional).

Hope something here is of use to you.

 

[Bigwaff]

You can try these utilities to determine why iCloud does not sync. Might help.

Cirrus & Bailiff

Cirrus – takes control of iCloud, investigates and diagnoses its problems Updated! Cirrus has four main functions. It can download and evict (from local storage) items stored in iCloud so tha…

eclecticlight.co

 

[JedNZ]

I had problems running those apps on Sonoma, but will try again.

One thing I didn’t mention (although it is in my signature) is my primary user account is on a Fusion Drive (2TB NVMe M.2, and a 2TB HDD).

 

[JedNZ]

Still no luck.

As I mentioned previously, I have my User account on a separate FusionDrive on my cMP 5,1, and ever since upgrading to Sonoma the iCloud Drive hasn't worked - no files are listed. Finder (List view) says to turn on iCloud Drive in Settings (which I have already done - numerous times, and I've turned iCloud off and logged out, rebooted and logged back into iCloud too many times to count), but nothing shakes iCloud into gear.

Today I tried relocating the ~/Library/Application Support/Mobile Documents folder to my boot drive (boot volume/Users/(account name)/Library/Application Support) and created a symbolic link thingy accordingly, and that too doesn't work.

I'm interested if anyone has had issues with iCloud Drive where their User account is on a FusionDrive, external to the boot drive, and how they repaired/fixed/sorted any issues. I'm also keen to learn if anyone has a solution to reinstalling just the components of iCloud (the System, Library and User Library folders etc).

 

[Bigwaff]

Have you tried updating to latest OCLP, uninstalling/reinstalling root patches?

 

[JedNZ]

Yes done all that. OCLP 2.0.2 fixed problems I had that came about when I upgraded to 2.0.1, but iCloud Drive continues broken. I just found out my wife’s User account on the Fusion Drive is also suffering a broken ICloud Drive so think it’s to do with having User accounts on a Fusion Drives. The User accounts on the boot drive aren’t affected.

 

[Bigwaff]

Boot into Recovery and disable SIP (System Integrity Protection) and reboot. Try syncing iCloud drive.

[Edit] Ignore the above... I believe you should disable SIP from the Open Core Legacy Patcher application and reinstall patches.

Post-Installation | OpenCore Legacy Patcher

 

[JedNZ]

SIP already disabled, root patches already done twice.