171      iPhone_iPad_Mac_apple

Back up documents but NOT desktop to iCloud Drive

I don't want my desktop backed up but I DO want documents.  There seems to be no way to do this.  Am I correct?

Unfortunately you can't be selective in what you choose to have backed up.  You could store your documents in the iCloud Drive where it will stay and be available to you on all your devices unless you delete it one day.

I don't want my desktop backed up but I DO want documents.  There seems to be no way to do this.  Am I correct?

if you enable the Desktop and Documents folder for iCloud Drive  it will not be a backup anyway. iCloud Drive will sync your Desktop and Documents folder to iCloud, and any change you do to the files and folder will sync to iCloud and be updated on all devices.

But do you have so many files and folders on your Desktop, that it would really matter, if the Desktop folder will be synced as well to iCloud? 

"Back up" is a euphemism.

Based on my workflow, yes it does matter if the Desktop is synced.

Leave your desktop empty.

In this case, backup is not a "euphemism" it is a misnomer. iCloud Drive is not a backup or an archive. It is a syncing/sharing service that allows all of your devices and computers to access the same materials - all of which are in iCloud Drive. Any changes you make anywhere update the documents or media in iCloud Drive. If you delete something, it is deleted.

So, there is no "backup" involved here - just a cloud location that houses all of the documents and media that you want to share across devices and computers that are signed into the same iCloud account and that have iCloud Drive turned on.

GB

BRILLIANT!  My problem is solved!  Hallelujah!

I understand how iCloud drive works.  Your tutorial does nothing to address my original concern.

Then you know it is not a backup nor a "euphemism" for a backup. If you are going to communicate effectively, then using the correct terminology is critical. léonie attempted to clarify what seemed to be your misunderstanding of what iCloud Drive was doing, as both your title and your first sentence indicated: "I don't want my desktop backed up but I DO want documents."

You seemed to take umbrage at her clarification so I expounded further. We cannot read your mind, so if you use a term that is patently incorrect for the function that is being discussed, then naturally, we are going to want to clarify what that function does, to ensure that you have a basic understanding of that process before we delve further into troubleshooting.

We are all just users here, and we volunteer our time to help fellow users. I can't tell you how many times a problem is caused by a misunderstanding of how something works or is supposed to work. So, the first thing that will typically be done is to clarify what it is you are talking about, and what it is that we are talking about.

Saves a lot of time and frustration.

If you don't like the way it is currently set up, then your best bet would be to provide feedback to Apple about it: Apple - Feedback

GB

There's no "productised" way to do this, correct. But you can create a Documents folder inside your iCloud drive, rename your ~/Documents folder ~/Documents-local, and create an alias for ~/Documents which points to the Documents folder you created in iCloud drive. I've used this approach for quite a while now and it seems to work OK.

My wife and I share the same apple ID. We are happy to sync our documents but not our two desktops, as mine appears on her computer and hers on mine. This is a minor inconvenience but it would not be illogical to be able to choose to sync documents or desktop or both.

léonie wrote:...  But do you have so many files and folders on your Desktop, that it would really matter, if the Desktop folder will be synced as well to iCloud? 

If it wouldn´t matter - why would raphael ask...?

It matters to me, too - when f.e. creating large movie files on the Desktop during production only.

Why is it so difficult for Apple to let the customer choose whether the Desktop and/or Documents are being synchronized or not?

Feedback for Apple goes here >>> https://www.apple.com/feedback/

Unfortunately that is to be expected when two people try to share a single user system.

I am not working for Apple - maybe they can think different before releasing software...

最后更新：2017-08-30 21:43:43

  上一篇： How do I restore a deleted calendar?

  下一篇： 1 hour time difference between calendars