Empty desktop
All my files have been moved to iCloud (Archive). How can I restore my desktop to its previous state?
URGENT!
Question marked as
Top-ranking reply
If you open system preferences > iCloud and uncheck the box of iCloud Drive a pop up window appears , showing to keep a copy of documents , and remove from the Mac .
( a ) if you had clicked on keep a copy , they will be archived in home folder that can be viewed by clicking on finder in the dock , take cursor on top menu bar > Go > Home > your user name > iCloud Drive ( Archive ) .
If you uncheck the box of desktops and documents .
It will prompt the items from this desktop and the documents folder are available in iCloud Drive , to remove items from iCloud Drive , move them to your desktop and documents folder on this Mac , click on show in finder .
Again open system preferences > iCloud > iCloud Drive > the box of desktops and documents box is unchecked , tap over the box to get it rechecked , a circle rotates setting up the box gets checked .
You will notice a folder is created literally on the desktop , tap it a pop up window appears the items on this desktop on this Mac have been moved into a new folder called “ Desktops - Apples Mac book …( the name of Mac will be written in the existing desktop folder in iCloud Drive , you can combine the contents of these folders any time , click on show in finder .
Right click on the folder created on the Mac and move to trash , restart the Mac and empty the trash , but again the documents are placed in a right place in iCloud Drive as well in iCloud server .
By unchecking the box of desktops and documents - the files and documents created are invisible temporarily both in iCloud Drive and www.icloud.com but they are not deleted from the server .
See this article also https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206985
If you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud, you have the option to keep a local copy of your files that are in iCloud Drive. Whether you decide to keep a local copy or not, a new Desktop and Documents folder is created in your home folder. If you choose to keep a local copy, your files in iCloud Drive are copied to a folder called iCloud Drive (Archive) in your home folder. Then you have the option to move any files that were in your iCloud Desktop and Documents, back to your new local Desktop and Documents.
In home folder > iCloud Drive ( archive ) , select those files ( command and A keys ) , copy them ( command and C keys ) and paste them ( use command and V keys ) over the desktop .
It depends which method you used ( a ) signed out from iCloud account ( b) unchecked the box of desktops and documents - the result was the same the files were archived in the home folder .