Uploading Desktop & Documents folders to iCloud drive - how to stop?!

[NikkiJayne]

Installed Sierra earlier, and thought being able to access my desktop from my phone would be cool. Went into settings to enable it, but as you have to give access to both your 'Desktop & Documents folders', iCloud started uploading 10GB of gaming data that lives in my Documents folder, and obviously I don't want that wasting my iCloud space. So I went back into settings to untick that option, and am greeted with this message:

"If you continue, documents on your Desktop and in your Documents folder will be visible in iCloud drive only. No documents will be deleted from iCloud drive."

So does this means if I go ahead and turn this feature off, all my desktop and documents files will be deleted off my MacBook?! I usually like OS developments but this one seems pretty poorly thought out, unless I'm reading/doing it wrong!

I tried cancelling it from the sidebar of the Finder menu but it's not responding.

 

[Jumpie]

I had this same exact question and couldn't find an answer. You should be able to exempt a specific file or folder from backing up. Plus, it can eat a lot of bandwidth if you have caps.

 

[NikkiJayne]

I had this same exact question and couldn't find an answer. You should be able to exempt a specific file or folder from backing up. Plus, it can eat a lot of bandwidth if you have caps.

Agreed, I couldn't believe there is no choice in which files to backup; it's just all or nothing.

 

[fiveainone]

I don't have Sierra yet, but am on iCloud. That does sound like Apple and iCloud - iCloud is the hub, everywhere else is the device. I would just create a separate Document folder and use that as your off-cloud Documents. If you do decide to sync some documents, copy it over to the cloud Document folder. Kind of like how Photos only syncs one .photolibrary that's in "My Pictures" folder, everywhere else it's not synced.

 

[Jumpie]

Just poorly designed

 

[grahamperrin]

If I recall correctly, there was some discussion of stopping in the topic that began before Sierra was released:

• iCloud Drive - Desktop & Documents Folders

 

[Budiosx]

settings>iCloud>iCloud drive options

 

[pauljbax]

Well, that explains a lot.

Nicki, what is the verdict?