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Free Image Format ConversionI turned off iCloud Drive, and now I'm missing files….
Did you accidentally turn off iCloud Drive and lose your files? If you're currently fretting over how to recover your missing documents, then you'll be glad to know that it's effortless to retrieve those lost files from iCloud Drive.
Management workflows, privacy, security concerns, different preferences for cloud storage, and limited storage space are common reasons people turn off iCloud Drive. However, it's important to understand that disabling iCloud Drive will cause you to lose certain features and performance that rely on iCloud sync.
In the past few months, I wasn't able to receive any more notifications because my iCloud storage was full. Since I didn't need iCloud, I turned it off and gave up the 5GB of free storage. At that time, I thought my files wouldn't be in iCloud, but to my surprise, all the files on my computer were gone. I was frustrated because I couldn't recover those files from either iCloud or the iCloud folder.
This is a common occurrence, and can happen to any user. If you choose not to keep a copy of your files when you turn off iCloud Drive on a Mac, all files that were synced with iCloud Drive will be deleted. This also includes files in the Desktop and Documents folders, where most of your files and documents are typically stored.
## Restore Lost Documents from iCloud with Software
When you turn on iCloud Drive on your Mac and opt to keep certain folders and files on your Desktop and in Documents, they're stored directly in iCloud instead of on your local disk, unless you turn off the option for “Desktop & Documents Folders” in iCloud Drive.
If you're still having issues with iCloud recovery, it could be that the data wasn't uploaded to the iCloud servers before you turned off iCloud Drive. These must be recovered from a temporary save location on the disk. When you download or upload files from iCloud Drive, each file is stored in a temporary storage area on your disk: ~/Library/Mobile\ Documents or ~/Library/iCloud\ Drive. In this case, you can use the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool to recover lost iCloud files.
It is a professional MacBook data recovery software that can help you recover permanently deleted data from iCloud. The main features include:
- Recover data from memory cards, SD cards, HDDs, SSDs, and more.
Restore previous versions of files from iCloud Drive, including OneDrive and Dropbox.
Some recovery features include ultra-fast scanning speeds, file filtering, preview, and free remote IT support.
Step 1: Choose iCloud Backup
From the left panel, select “iCloud”. Choose “Restore from iCloud account” to recover your iCloud Drive data and hit “Next” to log in to your iCloud account.
Step 2: Select the “iCloud Drive” category
The utility will quickly scan all recoverable data in your iCloud account. Check the “iCloud Drive” category, then click the “Next” button.
Step 3: Recover Data from iCloud Drive via iCloud
Select the iCloud Drive data you want to recover, click the Eye icon to preview the details, and then hit the “Recover” button to get them back.
Step 4. Save the recovered iCloud Drive data
Choose a secure location on your Mac hard drive to save the recovered iCloud Drive data. You also have the option to save the retrieved data to your cloud drives like Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, and so on.
If you choose to keep a copy on your MacBook when you turn off iCloud Drive, it creates an iCloud Drive (Archive) folder to save all the files that were in iCloud Drive. However, note that these files will still be stored in iCloud. If you want to access them without having iCloud Drive enabled, you'll need to go to icloud.com.
Recover a missing document with iCloud
This process helps you recover deleted, lost, or removed data from your iCloud Drive. Here's how to use iCloud's recovery feature:
1. On your MacBook, open any web browser, like Safari or Chrome, and go to iCloud.com. Enter your Apple ID and password, then click the “Arrow” to log into your iCloud account.
Step 2: On the iCloud home page, click “Account Settings.”
Step 3: Click the "Restore files" option under the "Advanced" section at the bottom of the page.
Click “Restore Files”. 
Step 4: A new window will appear, and iCloud will start searching for the saved files on the cloud. Give it a few seconds, and once the scanning process is over, you'll see a wide range of recoverable files listed there, which you can choose according to your preference. Select the ones you wish to restore by ticking the checkboxes and clicking on “Recover.”
Step 5: iCloud will begin the restoration process. If you have a lot of files to restore, this could take a few minutes. When it's done, click "Finish" to close the window and complete the process.
As long as you're signed into the same Apple ID with iCloud enabled, any retrieved files and documents will quickly become available on your devices. However, if you previously turned off iCloud on your device, you won't be able to recover iCloud photos on your Mac because they aren't backed up to the cloud.
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Bottom line
Apple's cloud storage technology is great for convenience and works beautifully on a Mac. Turning on all iCloud options means that all your data – contacts, images, files, and everything else – is synced and automatically stored in the cloud as long as your devices are on and connected to the Internet. However, if you lost data due to accidentally turning off iCloud Drive, it's best to install a(n) Mac data recovery wizard to help you out.
Frequently asked questions about turning off iCloud Drive and missing documents
These are some common questions to consider to better understand the topic:
If I turn off iCloud Drive, will I lose everything?
When you turn on iCloud for an app, its data is securely stored in iCloud and synchronized immediately among your devices. When you turn off iCloud for the app, it no longer connects to iCloud, and your data is stored only on your device.
Why are files missing from iCloud Drive?
One common reason files disappear from iCloud Drive is synchronization issues. In this case, you need to verify that your device is properly connected to the internet and that iCloud sync is enabled. Other possible issues include accidentally deleted files, insufficient storage space, and configuration conflicts.
How to recover missing files from iCloud Drive?
If you can't find the file in the Trash, or you want to recover a deleted file from another device, go to iCloud.com. You can recover documents from there using the “Restore Files” option in Account Settings or the “Recently Deleted” folder in iCloud Drive.
Why did iCloud delete my files?
The main reason iCloud might be deleting your files is that your MacBook is set to optimize storage when you've enabled the "Desktop & Documents Folders" option to sync with iCloud. This feature helps save space on your Mac by storing recently used files locally while keeping the rest in iCloud.