iCloud Drive – enforce download of all files on multiple Macs?

[Wintermute121]

I understand iCloud Drive is supposed to be a typical Apple “it just works” service, and in a way, it is: files created on / downloaded to my iMac are shown on my iOS devices and MacBook / iCloud Drive quickly.

However, some files aren’t downloaded on my second Mac – they have the grey cloud with the down-pointing arrow icon. I first thought this only affects larger files, but it also happen with tiny text files.

This would be a major problem if you, say, take a trip to a remote region, with no or poor Internet access, only to find out that 70% of the 3,000 files you put in iCloud Drive aren’t available. So my question is:

Is it possible to enforce full download / syncing of iCloud Drive on multiple Macs, without any user intervention? Because I can’t go through dozens of folders and manually open hundreds of files with the gray cloud icon every time I’m going offline.

The “target” / second Mac’s SSD has more than 400 GB free capacity, so it’s not a storage issue.

I also didn’t activate “Store in iCloud” or “Optimize Storage” in System Settings.

Thank you.

 

[Wando64]

My iCloud data is fully downloaded on two Macs and I have not noticed this problem.
So the answer is, yes, it is possible to fully download on two Macs without user intervention, but I have no idea why this is not happening in your case.
My suggestion would be to click ‘optimise storage’ on the affected mac; Restart the mac; unselect ‘optimise storage’; restart mac once again.
It might not achieve anything, but it will not hurt either.
Good luck.

 

[gilby101]

My suggestion would be to click ‘optimise storage’ on the affected mac; Restart the mac; unselect ‘optimise storage’; restart mac once again.

I would not do that! Messing with optimise storage is likely to make an uncertain situation worse.

Is it possible to enforce full download / syncing of iCloud Drive on multiple Macs, without any user intervention?

"Without user intervention" sounds a bit hard. I think you will need to intervene.
A few things to try:
1) Turn off iCloud Drive; wait a bit; turn it on again.
2) Copy all the folders to somewhere else - this will make sure they are downloaded.
3) Create new folders on iCloud Drive and copy files there - these may stick better.
4) Copy all the folders to somewhere else; optionally, make a backup copy somewhere else (different disk); remove folders in iCloud Drive; wait a bit; copy folders back to iCloud Drive. This is more risky as it will remove files from iCloud Drive on all your Macs - hence suggestion to make copies in two places.

I have had some success with 2 and 3.

What macOS are you using? I have been free of the grey cloud problem with Ventura. It used to annoy me in a small way.

 

[Wando64]

I would not do that! Messing with optimise storage is likely to make an uncertain situation worse.

How?
I have done this many times on my Macs with no ill consequences.
Everything works just as it should.

On the other side, I really see no point in making data copies or moving files to different folders or in and out of iCloud Drive, but if it worked for you… great.
If you have around 1TB of data on iCloud as I do, you would not even consider the idea of doing any of these actions.

 

[gilby101]

I have done this many times on my Macs with no ill consequences.
Everything works just as it should.

Glad about that.