My Download Folder Disappeared Mac Os X

  1. Hopefully, this guide helps Mac users who have reported that all my files are gone on Mac. There are good common measures to locate disappeared files on Mac. If you are unable to find your desired files even after using common methods, then Recoverit is here to help you. This data recovery tool for Mac can locate and recover lost, missing,.
  2. Drag the downloads folder to the place you want it in the sidebar; Drag the Downloads folder to the right side of the vertical bar in the Dock; The folder icons in the Finder sidebar and Dock are only pointers to the original. Kind of like Aliases, if you will. Generally OS X will prevent you from deleting the actual folder Downloads along with.
  3. Use Mac OS X Spotlight search to find missing files The first point of call for many people is to open Spotlight and look for the file: Press Command-Space to open Spotlight. Enter the name of the.
  4. To use this solution to solve the “Documents folder missing on Mac” issue, follow the steps below: Open the Finder in your Mac computer and then select the Finder option from the menu bar. From the Finder menu, select Preferences. Hit the Sidebar tab. Next, tick the Documents option. This should restore the missing Documents folder.
  1. My Download Folder Disappeared Mac Os X 10.13
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  5. Mac Downloads Folder Disappeared
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Along with disappeared files, it can guide you to regain deleted or lost data from certain folders such as My documents, my videos, my pictures, my music, downloads etc. However, only few generic media files can be retrieved; users need to utilize Yodot Mac Photo Recovery tool to restore all types of media files from Macintosh computer.

Home > Mac Recovery > The Documents Folder Disappeared from Finder Sidebar on Mac?

“Since downloading the 10.12.6 version of Sierra the Documents folder has gone missing from my finder. I keep Word and Excel in there as well as some downloads, and can still find what I want by going into each individual thing but want the Documents back where they were, how can I do this?”

Deakin from Mac Help Forums

Many Mac users keep important or commonly used files in Documents or Desktop folder. By default, users can find shortcuts to AirDrop, All My Files, Applications, Desktop, Documents, and Downloads in the sidebar of Finder window on Mac computer. But many people cannot find the Documents folder in the sidebar of Finder windows. Why did the Documents folder disappear from Finder sidebar and how to get back missing Documents folder on Mac? Read on this article to get the answers.

How to Get Back Missing Documents Folder on macOS 10.13/macOS 10.12

Method 1: Check iCloud Section in Finder Sidebar

macOS Sierra and the latest macOS High Sierra allows you to put Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud Drive so you can access them from all of your devices with iCloud drive. If you have stored Desktop and Documents folder with iCloud Drive, the Desktop and Documents folders are no longer under Favorites section. Instead, they’ll be moved to the iCloud section of your Finder sidebar.

To stop Desktop and Documents folder synchronizing with iCloud Drive, follow the steps below:

Step 1. Click the Apple icon at the top left corner of your screen, choose System Preference > iCloud.

Step 2. Click Options next to iCloud Drive and uncheck Desktop & Documents Folders.

Step 3. Click Done to save changes.

Method 2: Check Finder Menu to Restore Missing Documents Folder

If you didn’t turn on Desktop and Documents in iCloud Drive, the most likely reason that lead to Documents folder missing from Finder sidebar should be mistaken deletion. If you accidentally removed Documents folder from Finder sidebar, you can get back missing Documents folder on Mac with the steps below.

Step 1. Open Finder and click “Finder” option from the menu bar at top left corner of your screen.

Step 2. Click Preference from Finder menu.

Step 3. Choose Sidebar tab and select “Documents”.

Tip: If you want to quickly access your Documents folder from the Dock, add Documents folder to Dock with these steps: open Finder > right-click the Documents icon in the sidebar > choose Add to Dock.

My Download Folder Disappeared Mac Os X 10.13

How to Recover Missing Documents on Mac

Your Documents folder can be easily restored if it is just hidden. However, if you mistakenly delete files in Documents folder, it will be difficult for you to recover deleted files on Mac. Luckily, there are some third-party Mac data recovery tools make it possible for you to recover deleted or lost files on Mac. Stellar Phoenix Mac Data Recovery, one reliable software that helps recover lost or deleted files, emails, photos, videos, and other files on macOS High Sierra, macOS Sierra, OS X El and others.

Here’s how to recover deleted or lost files on Mac using Mac data recovery tool.

Step 1. Download and install Stellar Phoenix Mac Data Recovery on you computer and launch the program.

Step 2. From the main screen, select the type of file you want to recover, and then click the Next button.

Step 3. Select the location where you lost your files and click Scan.

How to Recover Deleted Files on Mac OS

Step 4. When scanning finished, select the items you want to recover and click the Recover button.

Stellar Phoenix Mac Data Recovery allows you to get back your lost or deleted files on Mac before they are overwritten. If you want recover important files on Mac, give Stellar Phoenix Mac Data Recovery a try now >

This entry was posted in on Nov 27, 2017 by Judy.

Sep 25, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

'After updating my Mac, I surprised to see that all my desktop files disappeared. Sadly, I have no idea why it happens? Where my files go? Unfortunately, I don't have a backup. So, is there any way to recover files disappeared from Mac?'

Mac Os Folder Icon

There are a lot of users who recently reported that few files from their Mac desktop are missing or they've just got disappeared. It is quite surprising for those users who have a habit of saving their important files on the desktop.

If this sounds you, then you may probably know how much it is annoying to lose your files you need the most. In such cases, you might be looking for ways to get back your missing desktop files. The good news is that there are some effective methods that can help you to recover missing files on Mac with ease.

Here, in this article, we have mentioned several ways you can try to locate your desktop files that have disappeared somehow.

Why Desktop Files Disappeared from Mac?

When users see that all desktop files disappeared from their Mac, one question surely comes to their mind how it happens and why their Mac desktop files are missing. Well, there are a number of reasons for this situation. Here, we have covered some of them you need to know:

  1. It might be because you have chosen to keep your Desktop and Documents files on iCloud and that's why your files disappear from the desktop. If this is the case, then all you need to do is to check your iCloud settings in 'System Preferences'>'iCloud'>'iCloud Drive' options.
  2. Sometimes, files get permanently deleted or lost due to various reasons, such as virus-attack, power-failure on your Mac. In such cases, you need powerful data recovery software for Mac to recover your permanently deleted or lost files.
  3. Maybe you have moved some files to another location, such as Trash from your desktop on your Mac and you completely forgot about it or can't remember where you've moved them. In such cases, you can try to remember or check the Trash folder because maybe you have moved files to this folder.

Well, the main concern is how to locate files that disappeared from Mac. Now, we are going to mention several methods that can help you to do that.

Method 1. Disable the File Sync with iCloud

The latest versions of macOS come with an iCloud feature that enables users to sync their Mac Desktop and Documents folders to iCloud Drive. The feature allows you to access your Mac desktop and Documents folders across different devices, which include iOS devices, other Mac, and iCloud.com.

Thus, if you have saved desktop and documents folders in iCloud Drive, then your desktop and documents folders moved to the iCloud part of your of Finder sidebar. In this scenario, all you can do to show you missing files on Mac is to disable the iCloud drive. To learn how to check iCloud drive settings to get back the lost or disappeared desktop files, follow the below steps:

  1. To start with, move to the Apple menu, and then, go to System Preferences.
  2. Now, click on iCloud and then, click on 'Options' next to iCloud.
  3. Here, you need to uncheck the box 'Desktop & Documents Folders' and finally, click on the 'Done' button.

While you are doing the above process, you will get a warning message saying 'If you continue, items will be removed from the desktop and the documents folder on this Mac and will remain available in iCloud Drive'. So, here all you have to do is to continue with the process and open every desktop and documents folders that are displayed in iCloud Drive. To recover your missing files, you can simply drag them to the new empty desktop folder.

Method 2. Recover Missing Files on Mac in 3 Steps

If you are looking for an easy and quick way to recover your missing files on Mac, then data recovery software for Mac can help you to do that. Unlike common ways, the software is specially designed to help users to get back their files with ease.

1. Recoverit - The Best Software to Recover Word Files:

Whenever you experience a data loss situation, Recoverit Data Recovery Mac will help you to retrieve it. This data recovery software will come in handy even when you've never made a backup of your device. You now know how to partition Mac hard drive and unpartition it. But knowing how you can recover the lost or deleted files from the drive is also necessary.

2. How to Recover Lost Word Files on Mac:

Mac Os Folder Actions

Step 1: Select a Location

Launch the software and select the drive from where the data files are lost. If you don't know which drive to search, tap on the 'I can't find my partition' option, and hit the Start button.

Step 2: Scan the Location

Typically, the software will run an All-Around Recovery scan and search for the lost and deleted files on the entire drive.

Step 3: Preview and Recover

When the scan completes, the files will be listed on the screen. The software will sort out the files according to format to make the search easier. You can select multiple files at a time and have a preview at them.

Method 3. Use macOS Mojave Stacks

There is no doubt that if there is any convenient place to store and place files on Mac, it is desktop. By saving files on the desktop, you can access them easily and quickly and the best thing is that you don't have to go through various folders. But, sometimes important files present on your Mac desktop get disappeared or lost somehow.

Luckily, there is good news for users who have updated their Mac system to macOS Mojave. There is one new desktop feature added in the macOS Mojave, and it is desktop stacks. With the help of this new feature, you can easily locate your missing files on Mac. Before you learn how to locate files on Mac using macOS Mojave stacks, you need to first understand what exactly the stacks feature is?

My Downloads Folder Disappeared Mac

What is Stacks?

Well, they are virtual folders that can help you to manage and corral your files on Mac. You might don't know that they have been included in macOS Dock for many years, but they are now quite helpful for users who are looking for ways to locate missing or lost desktop files.

The main concept here is 'virtual folders'. They are not actual directories in the file system of your Mac. All of your Mac files remain in their original locations. However, macOS Mojave stacks collect all of these files and show them to you under one expanding folder.

Thus, if you have updated your Mac to Mojave, and files present on your desktop seem to disappear, then you don't have to worry. They are probably hiding behind this new stacks feature. Here, we are going to show how you can use desktop stacks in macOS Mojave.

Turn on desktop stacks in Mojave:

  1. Go to your Mac desktop, here you need to select the 'View' tab from the menu bar located at top of the screen.
  2. Next, you need to choose the 'Use Stacks' option. Or you can right-click on the desktop to get this option to enable it.
MacMy Download Folder Disappeared Mac Os X

Find missing files using stacks:

Once you have enabled desktop stacks new features, you can easily access the data of each stack and all you have to do is to click on its icon. Files it contains will be shown below and plus, other desktop files will be moved to the left for a temporary basis to make the room as required. If you click the stack once more, then it will get close, and also, it will return all icons to their original locations.

Mac Downloads Folder Disappeared

Bonus Tip: How to Delete Files on Mac Desktop Safely

If you have a lot of folders and files on your Mac, then you might want to delete some files in order tofree up storage space on your system.

Here is the simple guide on how to delete files on Mac desktop:

  1. To start with, locate files you want to delete on your Mac.
  2. Select the files you want to get rid of them and drag them into the trash can located at the bottom of the screen. Or you can simply right-click on the selected files, and choose 'Move to Trash' option from the list menu.

If there are some files you've deleted accidentally, then simply use 'Command + Z' right away to undo the previous action. You also need to delete these files from the Trash folder if you want to delete them permanently from your Mac.

There is no doubt that deleting or getting rid of unwanted and useless files on Mac is quite easy and straightforward. But, sometimes you end up deleting some important files while you are trying to clean your Mac system. Luckily, there are some tips you can follow to keep your data protected on Mac. Let's give a look at all these tips and tricks:

  • Back up your important files: The first and foremost tip to protect your data on Mac is to backup your important files. You may never know when you encounter a data loss situation on your Mac. If you've already back up your files, then you can easily recover them with ease in case if your files get lost or deleted somehow.
  • Lock your Mac: When you have to step away from your Mac, don't forget to lock your Mac to avoid unauthorized access to your important data.
  • Keep passwords strong: While you are setting a password on your Mac, try to set a strong password that is hard to guess by someone else.

With the help of the above-mentioned tips, you can easily protect your data and Mac too.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide helps Mac users who have reported that all my files are gone on Mac. There are good common measures to locate disappeared files on Mac. If you are unable to find your desired files even after using common methods, then Recoverit is here to help you. This data recovery tool for Mac can locate and recover lost, missing, or disappearing files within a few minutes.

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