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macOS Sonoma 14.4 Bug 'Destroys Saved Versions in iCloud Drive'

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Apple's latest macOS Sonoma 14.4 software update appears to be guilty of another bug, this time affecting saved versions in iCloud Drive.

iCloud-Bug-Feature-Green.jpg

Versions are normally created automatically when users save files using apps that work with the version system in macOS. (To check if your Mac is using the past versions system, look for a "Revert To" option in the app's File menu.)

According to The Eclectic Light Company's Howard Oakley, users running macOS 14.4 that have "Optimize Mac Storage" enabled should be aware that they are at risk of losing all previously saved versions of a file if they opt to remove it from iCloud Drive local storage.
In previous versions of macOS, when a file is evicted from local storage in iCloud Drive [using the Remove Download option in the right-click contextual menu], all its saved versions have been preserved. Download that file again from iCloud Drive, and versions saved on that Mac (but not other Macs or devices) have remained fully accessible. Do that in 14.4, and all previous versions are now removed, and lost forever.
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Oakley said his own tests confirmed that this behavior does not happen in macOS Sonoma 14.3 or macOS Ventura, so it is exclusive to macOS 14.4. For users who have already updated, he suggests either not saving files to iCloud Drive at all, or turning off Optimize Mac Storage.

To perform the latter in System Settings, click your Apple ID, select iCloud, and then toggle off the switch next to "Optimize Mac Storage." You may need to perform this action twice – reports suggest it can turn back on by itself. For a more exhaustive account of the problem, see Oakley's subsequent post.

There are several bugs reported in macOS 14.4, and we have recorded some of the most prominent issues in a dedicated article that we have updated since this story was published. Have you been affected by the latest bug? Let us know in the comments.

Article Link: macOS Sonoma 14.4 Bug 'Destroys Saved Versions in iCloud Drive'
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/19/sonoma-bug-destroys-saved-versions-icloud-drive/
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phenste

phenste

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Sep 16, 2012
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christ…so thankful I turned off automatic updates forever ago
galad said:
That seems the right behavior, if I delete the local copy of a file it's not like I want 20 autosaved copies to stay on the local disk. Autosaved copies are not stored on iCloud, so at the moment that's the right behavior imho.
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the issue here is that Apple has found a new way to optimize Mac storage (arguably a good thing), but in the process they’ve destroyed a feature many have come to rely on (autosaving, especially on a local device: makes perfect sense that the copies wouldn’t be stored in iCloud Drive; makes zero sense that copies wouldn’t be stored locally unless you, the user, opted out of that.)

it kinda has the same energy as the whole batterygate situation that’s been discussed to death on this website. Apple put out an update with something that they (ostensibly) consider to be a feature and many others consider to be a bug, without having mentioned it in the release notes. (no, I don’t think this has the same implications as batterygate on ANY level [i.e. an impending class-action], just using it as a comparison)
 
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StuBeck

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galad said:
That seems the right behavior, if I delete the local copy of a file it's not like I want 20 autosaved copies to stay on the local disk. Autosaved copies are not stored on iCloud, so at the moment that's the right behavior imho.
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Its a change from what was occurring in the past, and there is no indication this is anything but a bug. This may be what you want, but it is not what Apple intended. If this is intended, then a change note should have occurred stating this was going to happen.
 
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galad

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StuBeck said:
Its a change from what was occurring in the past, and there is no indication this is anything but a bug. This may be what you want, but it is not what Apple intended. If this is intended, then a change note should have occurred stating this was going to happen.
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How do you know that it's not what Apple intended? And where did you ever see a change note of iCloud behavior in the last 14 years? It's not like they documented anything at all before, when they changed the implementation 3 or more times.
 
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HobeSoundDarryl

HobeSoundDarryl

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abatabia said:
They’re really asleep at the wheel, software wise. Still waiting on the fix for usb hubs being broken and now this. A major reason why my Apple purchases have dropped dramatically. Hardware may be great, the software is ruining the experience.
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I'm still waiting for macOS to address the "unexpected ejections" issue with some- but not all- external drives- both HDD & SSD- which seem to almost randomly eject whether the Mac sleeps or not. This has been an ongoing problem for many- but not all- since Big Sur and is almost certainly bugs in macOS vs. all other possibilities based upon heavy testing I've done myself.

I go into every point update with high hopes that they've finally got around to fixing this one... and then take a key RAID box back out of service- again- when it can't stay connected... UNLESS I hook it to any, pre-Big Sur Mac or any PC using same cable, etc and then it's back to being as stable as a rock.

I miss "just works" Apple. And I miss the U in USB meaning what it is supposed to mean with last few year's Apple stuff.
 
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japanime

japanime

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nortonandreev said:
I had all of my iCloud Drive files corrupted a few years ago and since then I have never relied on iCloud. It's a complex system, but I often use it as a bad example.
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I had a similar experience, and it was entirely Apple's fault. The two upper-level support people I spoke with admitted so. And they told me I was out of luck, as there was no way for Apple to restore those files for me.
 
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MacProFCP

MacProFCP

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The latest string of OS have all come bug infested. iOS 17 is full of problems and Ventura was very problematic at the beginning.

I would’ve never upgraded to Sonoma but, thanks Apple, my computer upgraded on its own (and I have auto update turned off). Since then, there have been several significant problems.

Apple really doesn’t care anymore and that is the biggest problem. So long as they’re selling billions in iPhone sales, and now it’s more about services, they just don’t care to make great products.
 
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Populus

Populus

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Aug 24, 2012
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Oh my god, what have they done with Sonoma on its 14.4 version?

By the way, thank you MacRumors for making two front page posts (yesterday and today) bringing up this problems.

This serves a double purpose: helps people to be aware of what they facing if they update, and makes this software issues more public, so Apple feels more compelled to be more careful with the software. They should really improve the quality control of their operating systems honestly.

It would be super nice if you made similar posts about troublesome iOS/iPadOS versions, if they are.
 
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Skyuser

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Jan 26, 2022
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According to The Electric Light Company's Howard Oakley
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To digress for a moment: it is "The Eclectic Light Company", not "Electric" as in the news story. I personally would strongly recommend those who are interested in technical aspects of Macs to take a look at Mr Hoakley's fantastic articles, written with incredible expertise and valuable insights that'll appeal to a wide audience.
 
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CarAnalogy

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abatabia said:
They’re really asleep at the wheel, software wise. Still waiting on the fix for usb hubs being broken and now this. A major reason why my Apple purchases have dropped dramatically. Hardware may be great, the software is ruining the experience.
Click to expand...

It's really starting to show that they spent the last five+ years working on Vision Pro and the car and not focusing on their current products. Really hoping they have already re-focused and we'll start seeing results soon.
 
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daanodinot

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Mar 26, 2015
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Absolutely terrible bug. One of the worst in recent memory. And kind of funny after reading Gruber's report card.

SOFTWARE QUALITY: B

I’ll keep it short: I have concerns and complaints about aspects of the direction Apple’s software design is headed (or in some ways, has been now for years), but their software reliability has been very good for me.
Click to expand...

Wonder if there will be a subtraction next year because of this. Probably not.
 
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