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Icons on Apple desktop have disappeared

Hello out there:  I have an older Apple desktop running version 10.12.3. Yesterday I had to force quit the desktop because mail would not allow me to shutdown. I turned on the computer this A.M. and now I only have a background screen with not icons. I went to finder and clicked desktop and have zero kb. Is there anyway to get the icons back to the desktop ?  Thanks,  Gilbert

Have you tried using a Spotlight search for the lost documents?

Are you running iCloud Drive? If so follow the instructions for "Turn off Desktop and Documents" in this Apple Support Topic:

Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support

Hello macjack:  I was using iCloud drive, I've followed procedures on how to open the iCloud drive and its working. Only problem the desktop screen is still all blank save for the background picture. Kind of looks like I can no longer get the icons recovered. Do I have to download things to start icons appearing on my desktop ? Anyway, why this happened its beyond me. Lastly I really do not know how to get my old icons to come back.   Thanks for trying,  Gilbert

Did you turn off iCloud Drive following these instructions in the support topic? If you did, you should be able to do a Spotlight search to locate them on your Mac. When you find them with Spotlight choose the file and hold the command key to reveal a path bar in the Spotlight right hand window.

Turn off Desktop and Documents

When you turn off Desktop and Documents, your files stay in iCloud Drive and a new folder is created on your Mac. You can move files from iCloud Drive to your Mac as you need them, or select all of your files and drag them to the place you want to keep them.

1. From your Mac, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud.
2. Next to iCloud Drive, click Options.
3. Deselect Desktop & Documents Folders.
4. Click Done.

Hello macjack: Thanks for the follow-up. I went to iCloud and turned off desktop and documents, then went to my iCloud drive in finder the folder came up but its blank, so it appears I have lost all my desktop icons, at this point it seems I will have to restart everything agin from square one. Thanks for trying to assist me.  

Regards,  Gilbert

Have you tried using a Spotlight search for the lost documents?

Hello Again macjack: Just an update. I went to finder and found iCloud Archived, after clicking I saw all my apps. and was able to move them to the desktop. Your answer on stopping iCloud drive enabled me to find my lost apps./icons.

Thanks Again,  Gilbert

You are welcome. Glad it's sorted.

I had the same thing happen...all the icons on my desktop disappeared when I received a message that my laptop was not connecting to icloud. I didn't pay much attention to it or the pop ups that followed, but then realized when I finished what I was working on that all my files from my desktop disappeared. I found them in the icloud archived you mentioned above. Phew. Thanks for your help!

最後更新：2017-10-15 22:02:48

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