The latest update for macOS Sonoma has another bug, this time wreaking havoc on users' saved files on iCloud Drive.
Normally, when you save files to your iCloud Drive, all the different versions of that file will be saved for future reference. So if you've been working on a large project or task, you can review all versions of your file if necessary.
This is the case even when you delete a file from the drive; Previous versions will still be available to you when you need them. Unfortunately for some users, this new bug erases all previous saved versions when a file is deleted from iCloud Drive, which could mean that all your work is gone.
Howard Oakley The Eclectic Light Company stated in a post that macOS 14.4 users who have enabled the 'Optimize Mac Storage' setting should be warned that there is a risk of losing all their saved versions of a file if they choose to delete it or move it from iCloud Drive. Oakley notes that this issue “certainly does not occur on Ventura” and that when tested on previous 14.3 updates the issue was not observed either.
Grabbing my save files
If you're worried about your own save files, don't be! You can try to curb the potential threat by simply not updating your operating system to macOS 14.4 if you haven't already, or by disabling the “Optimize Mac Storage” setting. This way, your files won't start from iCloud Drive and neither will any previous saved versions.
This bug is simply the latest issue to plague the macOS Sonoma 14.4 update, following reports that the update was breaking some users' USB hubs and even disabling printers. Therefore, you'll want to be as careful as possible if you've already updated to the latest version of Sonoma.
There haven't been numerous reports about the bug so far, meaning it's probably not a widespread issue yet. We haven't heard any news from Apple about these bugs yet, which can be interpreted as good news in itself; If Apple hasn't said anything yet, it's a good sign that this is a minor issue that will likely be fixed quickly and quietly. resolved in a further update.
