Inner workings of iCloud Drive

[Wirenut]

Hey guys, I have a question about iCloud Drive. I set it to make my Documents folder the iCloud Drive which is great. It gives me access to all my files from my iPhone, iPad, or any computer on the internet. I also like (or thought so) that it is another layer of back-up. If my computer fails I would still have all those files right there on the replacement computer/installation.

So now I am wondering, does it work like that? Let's say my computer fails and I either reinstall OS X or just get a completely new computer. Will my files all be in iCloud Drive? Or will they be deleted due to the new Documents folder being empty?

I actually plan on doing a clean reinstall of OS X on my computer (2014 MacBook Air) so this is important that I understand it.

FWIW, I DO have all my files backed up in two other places. CrashPlan (I have to find a new company since they are going to business use only) and external drives.

 

[Gregg2]

Yes, as far as I know, the files will still be there as long as you have a password to that iCloud account.
However, don't rely on only one place to keep your files.
Always have redundancy.

Always have redundancy.
Always have redundancy.
Always have redundancy.
Always have redundancy.
Always have redundancy.​

 

[Wirenut]

Yes, as far as I know, the files will still be there as long as you have a password to that iCloud account.
However, don't rely on only one place to keep your files.
Always have redundancy.

Always have redundancy.
Always have redundancy.
Always have redundancy.
Always have redundancy.
Always have redundancy.​

I posted the last sentence so that I didn't get 7 people telling me not to rely on it for my backup. I guess you did those 6 other people a favor and posted it unnecessarily 7 times for them.

 

[Gregg2]

Confession: I missed that last sentence the first time. I'm in a hurry when looking at the forum during my lunch break.

Sounds like you're good to go. If your iCloud files go missing (they shouldn't) you can replace them.

 

[Wirenut]

I am still wondering about iCloud Drive, does anyone know for sure how it works?

For example, when I first set it up I made the documents folder on my Mac the iCloud Drive, and I can now see those documents from my iPhone etc.

Now if I clear my current Mac computer and resinstall the OS, then set the Documents folder to be the iCloud Drive again, what will happen?

Will it A) clear out the contents of the iCloud Drive, since the Documents folder on the Mac is now empty?
or B) add the contents saved in the iClouds Drive to the Documents folder?

What if the Documents folder had some content in it, would it combine them?

I am just curious how this works.

 

[Gregg2]

Your files are stored out on the internet "cloud" and will stay there unless you highlight and Delete. You can of course edit the files on any device with the correct app. Anything else you do on any of your devices will not affect the files at all.

 

[1252]

Be very careful with iCloud, I'm not using it at all as ALWAYS did exactly the oposite what I expected. In 99% of cases deleted something and in 100% cases uploaded things I didn't want to upload. Another thing is that nobody knows who can access the iCloud drives or read in real time what you upload. Also the destiny of deleted files is unclear, seems that those are kept on Amazon servers for years...

 

[Gregg2]

I only use it as a backup. the iCloud Drive appears in the Sidebar of Finder by default, I think. I treat it as if it is an external drive. I run Time Machine a few times a day (using TM Scheduler). I copy my most important files to a flash drive after any editing. Once a month, I copy that flash drive's contents to the iCloud Drive.

 

[Wirenut]

Be very careful with iCloud, I'm not using it at all as ALWAYS did exactly the oposite what I expected. In 99% of cases deleted something and in 100% cases uploaded things I didn't want to upload.

Your statistics are pretty crazy. I use iCloud Drive for my Documents directory and Desktop, which means all my files are on it. Even if I had some type of issue every single day, that would still mean that the other 99%+ of the time the iCloud drive worked like it's supposed to.

I started this thread to get information from people who knew about the inner workings of the iCloud, not for gross hyperbole and preaching about backing up, which this topic is not about.

 

[Fishrrman]

I don't use the cloud -- ANYBODY'S cloud.
I don't trust them.
At an inopportune moment... things could just go..... POOF!

Having said that...
IF you're going to use iCloud, I suggest (as did others above) that you keep a physical backup of your stuff close-at-hand, as well.

What did that fellow say above.... about... "redundancy"....?
Smart man!

 

[Wirenut]

Wow, just wow.

Why doesn’t someone else tell us that we should backup our files... even after we clearly said that we already do?

Maybe we can also get someone else who doesn’t use or understand the iCloud to post in a thread asking about the inner workings of it?

 

[macrlz9]

Let me help you out. When you sign into iCloud on a new Mac (which your Mac will essentially be if you erase and reinstall macOS), you get separate Desktop & Documents folders. So you will have a blank Documents folder and then Documents (old Mac name) in iCloud Drive. If you want to merge them, just drag the contents from one to the other.

It definitely does NOT delete anything in the existing Desktop & Documents folders...

 

[Wirenut]

Let me help you out. When you sign into iCloud on a new Mac (which your Mac will essentially be if you erase and reinstall macOS), you get separate Desktop & Documents folders. So you will have a blank Documents folder and then Documents (old Mac name) in iCloud Drive. If you want to merge them, just drag the contents from one to the other.

It definitely does NOT delete anything in the existing Desktop & Documents folders...

I see, so it would make second Desktop & Documents folders. Thanks!