Desktop files and folders dumped in a folder

[Dlass]

So I look at my Sonoma Desktop, and ALL of my Desktop items (folders, files, etc.) are gone. Well, they've all been dumped in a "Desktop" folder that is sitting on my desktop. I have to put them all back manually. Now WHY did this happen? Is there some way to automatically undump them?

 

[MacsBug]

It sounds like you may have turned on Desktop and Documents in iCloud. This moves everything into a folder and then syncs them to the cloud as you use files.

You can read more about it here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/109344

 

[Dlass]

Oh gosh, I think you're right. But if I now turn OFF Desktop and Documents in iCloud, everything on my desktop just disappears. But I get it. Everything remains in a Desktop folder in Finder->iCloud->iCloud Drive! That's how I recover. THANK YOU!

 

[MacsBug]

If you turn off Desktop & Documents, make sure that you let both of the folders sync to iCloud before turning the feature off.

You can also copy the contents to another folder on your Mac before turning off syncing. And then after you turn off the feature you just need to move the files back to where they should be without having to download them from the cloud.

 

[Dlass]

Well, after turning it off, I just copied the Desktop folder from iCloud to the desktop, and just unpacked it there.

 

[MacsBug]

you need to also copy back the contents of your Documents Folder.

 

[Dlass]

I don't seem to have anything in my Documents folder in my home directory.

 

[Rodananne]

That's because it's all in iCloud Drive, just open iCloud drive, go to the Documents folder, select everything and drag it to your Documents folder in the Finder.

You can then delete the empty Documents and Desktop (make sure they are empty first) folders in iCloud Drive.

 

[Dlass]

True. One the desktop is recovered, it makes sense to clean out Desktop and Documents in iCloud Drive. Don't need that stuff in there cluttering it up, as the original point was not have Desktop and Documents in iCloud.