Solved iCloud Installed, "iCloud Photos" MIA

(Not the issue I am posting about but, BTW, what is the app which can create text from a portion of my screen? So that I don't have to do it manually to add my winver here.)

I just installed iCloud on my laptop. On my desktop I have iCloud and, in Files, in the panel on the left, I see "iCloud Photos" under "iCloud Drive". But on this laptop I am seeing only "iCloud Drive". Any thoughts on why "iCloud Photos" is missing?

Thanks, Bob

bob17821 said:

what is the app which can create text from a portion of my screen?

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Are you referring to Snipping Tool app. It should be already installed for you.

bob17821 said:

On my desktop I have iCloud and, in Files, in the panel on the left, I see "iCloud Photos" under "iCloud Drive". But on this laptop I am seeing only "iCloud Drive".

Click to expand...

This suggestion from AI

It could be that iCloud Photos isn’t enabled on your laptop yet. Try checking the following:

1. iCloud Settings – Open the iCloud app and make sure Photos is checked in your settings.
2. File Explorer Navigation – Sometimes, the iCloud Photos shortcut appears differently depending on how the iCloud app was installed. Check under `C:\Users\yourusername\Pictures\icloud photos'

1. Windows iCloud Version – Older versions of iCloud for Windows handled photos differently. Make sure you’re running the latest version.
2. Restart & Sync – Restarting your laptop could trigger the sync process. Also, try signing out and back into iCloud.

glasskuter said:

Are you referring to Snipping Tool app. It should be already installed for you.


This suggestion from AI

It could be that iCloud Photos isn’t enabled on your laptop yet. Try checking the following:

1. iCloud Settings – Open the iCloud app and make sure Photos is checked in your settings.
2. File Explorer Navigation – Sometimes, the iCloud Photos shortcut appears differently depending on how the iCloud app was installed. Check under `C:\Users\yourusername\Pictures\icloud photos'
3. Windows iCloud Version – Older versions of iCloud for Windows handled photos differently. Make sure you’re running the latest version.
4. Restart & Sync – Restarting your laptop could trigger the sync process. Also, try signing out and back into iCloud.

Click to expand...

re Snipping Tool - YES! Thanks. I have used something similar in the past but I think that the navigation has changed since then.

re iCloud Photos: YES!. Thanks again. I did several google searches but do not recall seeing the AI help.

FYI - ICloud on Windows has changed with the module that installs with Win 11 (Might have been this way in Win10... I can't be sure).

First, it's dynamic. It used to be that the files downloaded to your PC and they were there in the ICloud Photos Download directory permanently. Uploads too, although that was a separate area.

In the new version, there's only one directory and it's a direct reflection of your ICloud storage. If you delete any files, they are deleted from the ICloud, and vise-versa. To avoid that, move the files to another folder.

Also, if you Sign Out of ICloud, it will delete all the photos from your PC. They will still be on ICloud. But when you sign back in, you'll have to wait for everything to download/resync again. It's really a "dynamic" connection from that viewpoint. However, the files really are on your PC. If you disconnect the network, they're still there in ICloud Photos. They only disappear if you Sign Out. Weirdly inconsistent, but that's Apple for you.

This will not happen if the ICloud Web Site logs you out because you haven't used it in "too long". It still does that, even though you set the "keep me logged in" bit. But the ICloud Drive / ICloud Photos part seems to stay hooked up... it's just the web site access it logs you out of.