How to Transfer Files from iCloud to External Hard Drive on PC

Sure, please provide the text you want me to translate.

**Can I copy files from iCloud to an external hard drive?** Yes, absolutely. This guide will show you how to transfer files from iCloud to an external hard drive step by step. The first two methods are provided by [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108306) . Towards the end, we also recommend using Todo PCTrans, a tool mentioned at the bottom of this page, to help you with **bulk file transfer from iCloud to external hard drives**.

Click here to get all the details and start your journey now.

Transfer Files from iCloud to an External Hard Drive

Are you looking for a way to quickly transfer all your data from iCloud to the hard drive on your local computer? Many people want to retrieve their iCloud data, including iCloud documents and desktop folders, when they get a new Mac with ample storage. It's a great idea in itself. Here's how you can do it, though the steps differ between Mac and Windows systems.

#1. Copy files from iCloud Drive to Mac with External Disk To copy files from iCloud Drive to your Mac using an external disk, follow these steps: 1. Connect the external disk to your Mac: Plug in the USB or Thunderbolt cable of your external hard drive into your Mac's appropriate port. 2. Launch Finder: Click on the Finder icon in the Dock or press Command + Space to open Spotlight, then type "Finder" and hit Enter. 3. Access iCloud Drive: In the Finder sidebar, click on "iCloud Drive" under "Locations." 4. Select the files or folders you want to copy: Click and hold the Shift key to select multiple consecutive files or the Command key to choose non-consecutive files or folders. 5. Copy the selected files: Press Command + C to copy the selected items. 6. Open the external disk: In the Finder sidebar, locate and click on the name of your external disk. 7. Create a new folder (optional): If desired, right-click within the external disk window and choose "New Folder" to organize your copied files. 8. Paste the files: Navigate to the desired location within the external disk, then press Command + V to paste the copied files. 9. Wait for the transfer to complete: Depending on the size of the files and the speed of your external disk, this process may take some time. 10. Safely eject the external disk: Once the transfer is finished, ensure that no other applications are using the disk, then right-click on the external disk in the Finder sidebar and select "Eject" to safely remove it. Now you have successfully copied the files from iCloud Drive to your Mac using an external disk.

Step 1. Click "iCloud Drive" in Finder and sign in with your iCloud account and password.

Click the iCloud Drive button to access it, select the Desktop, Documents, and Downloads folders to view their contents, and then choose the items you wish to download.

Note: You can only download individual files, not entire directories; therefore, you must access each folder separately to select the files to download.

Step 2. Select the files you want to copy to your Mac, right-click them, and choose the "Copy" option.

"Synchronize your device"

Step 3. Next, open the external hard drive connected to your Mac and paste the copied files into the device.

#2. Copy Files from iCloud to an External Drive on Windows

Step 1. Connect an external hard drive to your PC, and open iCloud.com in your browser.

Step 2. Log in to iCloud using your account and password.

Step 3. Open iCloud Drive, find and select the files you wish to copy.

Step 4. Click "Download" to save the files to your computer.

Step 5. Copy and save all files from the Downloads folder to your external disk.

Alternatively, if you prefer to transfer files in bulk, you can use reliable file transfer software like Todo PCTrans Pro, as recommended at the bottom of this page.

Keep reading, and you'll discover more methods to transfer photos from iCloud to an external hard drive. If you find this guide helpful, remember to share it with others who might benefit as well.

Download Photos from iCloud to External Hard Drive

Similarly to how iCloud provides users with storage space for their content, it also enables them to download that content again. To learn how to download photos and image files from iCloud to your computer using this method, please follow the step-by-step tutorial below.

Step 1. On a Mac or PC, go to iCloud.com.

Step 2. Sign in with your account and password, and click "Photos".

Step 3. Select the photos you want to download and click "Download".

Step 4. Once the download is complete, connect your external hard drive to your computer using a USB cable. Then, copy and paste the downloaded photos onto the external drive.

If you've downloaded thousands of files from iCloud, you can utilize the following method to perform a bulk file transfer using file transfer software.

Transfer (Downloaded) iCloud Files to An External Drive in Bulk

If you find it too complex or slow to manually copy files one by one from your computer to an external hard drive, you can utilize tools like Todo PCTrans with its Move Large Files feature. This software enables you to transfer thousands of files from one computer to an external or internal drive in batches.

With just a click, your photos, music, and movies can all be transferred to the target drive simultaneously. Here's how to transfer your iCloud-downloaded files to an external device all at once:

Step 1. Create a backup file of the source hard drive

Launch the Todo PCTrans tool on your Windows computer. Navigate to the "Backup & Restore" mode and click "Start".

Hover your mouse over "Data Backup", and click "Next". Then, either accept the default file name and location or customize these settings as preferred.

Now, select the items you wish to transfer to the other hard drive. The tool Todo PCTrans enables users to create backup files of multiple file types, which include applications, personal data, and user accounts. To move files from one drive to another, uncheck the "Applications" and "Accounts" options, hover your mouse over "Files," and then click "Edit."

Here, you need to select files from the source drive. Expand the drive to choose specific files you want, then click "Finish". Finally, click "Backup". Wait for the process to complete.

Step 2. Restore the file to the destination drive

Launch Todo PCTrans and follow the same process to reach the step where you choose a transfer method. This time, select "Data Restore" and click "Next".

Select the existing backup file displayed on the interface, or navigate to the precise file path where the backup file is located, and then click "Restore".

Return to the "Files" section, then click "Edit." Here, you can view the backup file. To set the destination location, which should be the other hard drive, click on the pencil icon and make the selection. Once done, confirm the change. After completing the basic settings, click "Finish" and finally "Restore." Wait patiently for the transfer process to complete.

If you need to upgrade your computer and转移所有内容到新设备，Todo PCTrans 是你需要的工具，因为它提供了PC到PC文件传输的功能，迁移已安装的程序，将你的PC设置和账户切换到新PC，而无需任何技术技能。

Also, don't forget to share this page online to help more people there switch their iCloud data to a local device as well:

Conclusion

During the process of sharing and moving files to iCloud Drive, some users might encounter the issue of insufficient storage space in their iCloud Drive. To resolve this problem, you have two options: either upgrade your iCloud Drive with more storage capacity or copy and transfer iCloud files to an external drive to save space.

On this page, we've shown you how to free up iCloud space using the second option - by copying and transferring files from iCloud to a local external disk on both Mac and PC. During this process, you can download or sync files, photos, videos, etc., to your computer and then move them to your desired drive.

However, if you have too many files to transfer, using a bulk file transfer tool is a wise choice. Todo PCTrans is a tool you can trust and give a try.