Need some help with this. I've had Dropbox running on my Documents folder and Downloads folder and my Desktop using a symlink (MacDropAny) for several years.
Last year I connected the HD to iCloud and/or iCloud Drive to make a duplicate backup of my files.
Now I learn from a Dropbox email that the mere using of a symlink to copy a file to Dropbox causes iCloud to treat the copy as a delete and thus delete the file from iCloud! As astonishing as it seems.
I also learned that iCloud was a not exactly backing up my files, but was MOVING some files to iCloud (not anything I asked it to do) and when it did that, iCloud replaced the moved files on my machine with blank "placeholders" that Dropbox (and other backup software like Backblaze) replaced the actual content files in their copies of my files with these black placeholders that iCloud placed on my Mac HD.
The net result is that many files that iCloud "MOVED" (instead of copied) to the iCloud were then DELETED from iCloud on the thought that copying them to Dropbox was a deletion on my Mac HD.
I may not have this exactly correct, but the real effect of it in my case is that 600-800 files are missing from my Mac HD and also from iCloud AND Dropbox.
I know. Sounds freaking nuts. And yes, I do have some local backups from which I may be able to piece together the 600-800 files. Or some of them.
I can't believe I'm the only one this happened to so I'm looking for detail remedies and instructions on how to avoid this in future, specifically, how to eliminate entirely Apple's iCloud from my world.
Please give me a hand here. Point me to some sources of information, some reports of similar activities, anything that you think might help. I've got no so-called "genius" store in my area.
Thanks for your attention and help.
Last year I connected the HD to iCloud and/or iCloud Drive to make a duplicate backup of my files.
Now I learn from a Dropbox email that the mere using of a symlink to copy a file to Dropbox causes iCloud to treat the copy as a delete and thus delete the file from iCloud! As astonishing as it seems.
I also learned that iCloud was a not exactly backing up my files, but was MOVING some files to iCloud (not anything I asked it to do) and when it did that, iCloud replaced the moved files on my machine with blank "placeholders" that Dropbox (and other backup software like Backblaze) replaced the actual content files in their copies of my files with these black placeholders that iCloud placed on my Mac HD.
The net result is that many files that iCloud "MOVED" (instead of copied) to the iCloud were then DELETED from iCloud on the thought that copying them to Dropbox was a deletion on my Mac HD.
I may not have this exactly correct, but the real effect of it in my case is that 600-800 files are missing from my Mac HD and also from iCloud AND Dropbox.
I know. Sounds freaking nuts. And yes, I do have some local backups from which I may be able to piece together the 600-800 files. Or some of them.
I can't believe I'm the only one this happened to so I'm looking for detail remedies and instructions on how to avoid this in future, specifically, how to eliminate entirely Apple's iCloud from my world.
Please give me a hand here. Point me to some sources of information, some reports of similar activities, anything that you think might help. I've got no so-called "genius" store in my area.
Thanks for your attention and help.