iCloud, how to download a big directory with sub folders?

[mrfabio]

Hi gents,

I do photography as hobby and storing my photo library in iCloud. I am owning only a business laptop provided by my employer, that recently applied a restriction which disabled iCloud. I can easily manage my personal files from the nice iCloud.com and with my iPad, but I need somehow download my photo library back to the laptop and sync through a different and allowed cloud provider. iCloud allow to download only a specific file...
Do you have hints for achieving this?

Thanks in advance
Fabio

 

[casperes1996]

Hm. So if I’m understanding you right, there’s no way of using iCloud on the device, you can only go through the Browser.

I’ve not really done that, but if you can download individual files, you could use the Files app on your iPad or a personal Mac to turn the folder into a zip archive so you can download the archive as a single file, uncompress it and have your entire folder structure

 

[mrfabio]

Hm. So if I’m understanding you right, there’s no way of using iCloud on the device, you can only go through the Browser.

I’ve not really done that, but if you can download individual files, you could use the Files app on your iPad or a personal Mac to turn the folder into a zip archive so you can download the archive as a single file, uncompress it and have your entire folder structure

Yeah, they used a service called JamF:-( I also tried to generate a zip in Files provided by iCloud.com, but didn't do anything after few minutes. Inside that Library folder there are 2 years of photo shooting in different timestamp subfolders. Not a lot but probably few gigabytes of RAW files. I also tried to copy and paste with a file manager app in iOS but that didn't work too...

 

[casperes1996]

Yeah, they used a service called JamF:-( I also tried to generate a zip in Files provided by iCloud.com, but didn't do anything after few minutes. Inside that Library folder there are 2 years of photo shooting in different timestamp subfolders. Not a lot but probably few gigabytes of RAW files. I also tried to copy and paste with a file manager app in iOS but that didn't work too...

The issue with the compress command to make a zip archive with the iOS Files app is that it gives no indication of progress. You just have to leave it there and when it's done the zip archive appears. But there's no progress bar and no feedback that it's doing anything. Quit the app and it stops processing. It's not the best UX there, so for things that take a bit the Mac gives a nicer experience when making a compressed archive, but it should still be possible. Try again and let it sit for a while

 

[mrfabio]

The issue with the compress command to make a zip archive with the iOS Files app is that it gives no indication of progress. You just have to leave it there and when it's done the zip archive appears. But there's no progress bar and no feedback that it's doing anything. Quit the app and it stops processing. It's not the best UX there, so for things that take a bit the Mac gives a nicer experience when making a compressed archive, but it should still be possible. Try again and let it sit for a while

Thanks, good to know I guess I have to avoid that the iPhone goes into standby mode too right?🙈

 

[casperes1996]

Thanks, good to know I guess I have to avoid that the iPhone goes into standby mode too right?🙈

At least long term standby would stop the process, but it should be able to continue if it goes to stand by for a short time and you bring it back, but to be on the safe side, keep it awake as much as you can, yeah

 

[mrfabio]

At least long term standby would stop the process, but it should be able to continue if it goes to stand by for a short time and you bring it back, but to be on the safe side, keep it awake as much as you can, yeah

Unfortunately it didn't work. After 1 day of zipping in Files, my iPad died 😂

I was thinking: are there any iCloud desktop clients available as alternative to iCloud.com, which is pretty limited (like Files)?

 

[casperes1996]

I was thinking: are there any iCloud desktop clients available as alternative to iCloud.com, which is pretty limited (like Files)?

On macOS it can integrate with Finder if you log in with the same Apple ID. On Windows you can download iCloud Desktop (I think it's called that?) which will integrate iCloud into the Windows Explorer

 

[mrfabio]

On macOS it can integrate with Finder if you log in with the same Apple ID. On Windows you can download iCloud Desktop (I think it's called that?) which will integrate iCloud into the Windows Explorer

I know but my employer disabled it so Finder cannot be considered anymore unfortunately..

 

[casperes1996]

I know but my employer disabled it so Finder cannot be considered anymore unfortunately..

The only desktop iCloud clients there are, are the ones that integrate with the native file browser, be it Finder or Windows Explorer, I'm afraid. Might it be possible to use a device at home to connect to the iCloud and do it from that desktop Finder or Windows Explorer?

 

[mrfabio]

This what I am considering, this restriction is going to cost me few thousands pounds 🙈 I will try again to find iOS apps more intelligent than Files, if I fail then I’ll really have to buy a private laptop... Having two laptops at home really annoy me!
Anyway, thanks for trying to help me 👌

 

[casperes1996]

This what I am considering, this restriction is going to cost me few thousands pounds 🙈 I will try again to find iOS apps more intelligent than Files, if I fail then I’ll really have to buy a private laptop... Having two laptops at home really annoy me!
Anyway, thanks for trying to help me 👌

So, what exactly is the restriction your employer has set? Is the iPad your own since you can be logged in to iCloud through Settings on that, or does your employer just have different rules for that device?

Thousands of pounds just feels sad if it can be avoided, so I'm contemplating if I might be able to write a quick app on the iPad that could integrate with the document picker for iCloud and make a tar archive you could extract on your Mac through the iCloud.com file browser, since it would then be just a single file.

How much time would you be able to wait without a solution in place if all else fails? I'd be willing to try and make such a program for you, but it might take me some time, and I am not sure how much time you'd be able to go without this sorted

What about the potential for borrowing someone else's Mac or PC to do it from? Logging in with your Apple ID; creating an archive, and logging out again

 

[mrfabio]

So, what exactly is the restriction your employer has set? Is the iPad your own since you can be logged in to iCloud through Settings on that, or does your employer just have different rules for that device?

Thousands of pounds just feels sad if it can be avoided, so I'm contemplating if I might be able to write a quick app on the iPad that could integrate with the document picker for iCloud and make a tar archive you could extract on your Mac through the iCloud.com file browser, since it would then be just a single file.

How much time would you be able to wait without a solution in place if all else fails? I'd be willing to try and make such a program for you, but it might take me some time, and I am not sure how much time you'd be able to go without this sorted

What about the potential for borrowing someone else's Mac or PC to do it from? Logging in with your Apple ID; creating an archive, and logging out again

Through a profile installed by jamf, it's getting popular on business laptops and I can't and don't want to remove that policy for obvious reasons.
I will use the "borrow" solution or will buy a personal laptop, not the end of the world and something anyway I was thinking about. Just a pity to loose what I thought a great and powerful benefit (business laptop is a top specs MacBook Pro 15 from 2018), pity because I have also an iPad Pro, and silly that it is not possible to easily download what yours from iCloud. Silly I need a MacBook to do that, I really don't like this.

 

[casperes1996]

Through a profile installed by jamf, it's getting popular on business laptops and I can't and don't want to remove that policy for obvious reasons.
I will use the "borrow" solution or will buy a personal laptop, not the end of the world and something anyway I was thinking about. Just a pity to loose what I thought a great and powerful benefit (business laptop is a top specs MacBook Pro 15 from 2018), pity because I have also an iPad Pro, and silly that it is not possible to easily download what yours from iCloud. Silly I need a MacBook to do that, I really don't like this.

View attachment 924280

Of course; Shouldn't go around company restrictions if it's not agreed to by the IT department.

But definitely silly that iCloud.com hasn't got the option to download a whole folder

 

[LuisN]

Hi gents,

I do photography as hobby and storing my photo library in iCloud. I am owning only a business laptop provided by my employer, that recently applied a restriction which disabled iCloud. I can easily manage my personal files from the nice iCloud.com and with my iPad, but I need somehow download my photo library back to the laptop and sync through a different and allowed cloud provider. iCloud allow to download only a specific file...
Do you have hints for achieving this?

Thanks in advance
Fabio

Can you install any software? I'm thinking you could install VMWare Fusion trial and create a virtual machine with Mojave or Catalina and download your files from there.