Mac desktop files missing

[Velvis]

Client has a Mac and over the weekend all her files on her desktop disappeared.

She was getting an issue where when she clicked on Desktop in Favorites it said The Operation cant be completed because the original item for "Desktop" cant be found. She also couldnt create docs on the desktop.

Googling it seems that issue was related to icloud and I was able to get the desktop to start functioning properly again but the files and folder that were on the desktop are still missing. She said she never used icloud so I am not sure why this became a problem.

She checked her icloud account via the web and there arent any files there. (which makes sense because she never used it.)

In the recent files in Word and Excel it shows all the files that were once on the desktop but clicking on them it says the files are no longer available.

I ran a data recovery program and it didnt find any of the files either.

Any ideas whats going on?

 

[overburnz]

Not even on iCloud Drive? Usually this happens if iCloud Drive is activated

 

[Velvis]

Not even on iCloud Drive? Usually this happens if iCloud Drive is activated

Yeah, nothing on iCloud. She says she never enabled it. (which who really knows if it was or not, but it was off when I got to it) and there wasnt anything in her icloud account when accessed through the web.

 

[timeshifter]

Look in her users folder for a folder called iCloud Drive (Archive), you may find her old Desktop stuff there.

Things go in there when you'd had iCloud Drive enabled with Desktop and Documents enabled. I know she said she never used it but we all know not to take what clients say as gospel.

 

[callthatgirl]

See if they have a OneDrive personal or business account, they may be logged out and it disappeared.

 

[HCHTech]

In addition to the other suggestions, I would do a machine-wide search for one of those files since you have the exact name from the Word MRU list.

 

[Peperonix]

Client has a Mac (...)

Which exact model ?
It is given by the EMC number. Below the foot for an iMac and at the bottom face for a MacBook.
Whis version of the operating system?
Such informations are often useful so that one can help you.

Unexpected behavior can sometimes reveal an ongoing hard disk failure (e.g. bad sectors) or logical volume corruption (e.g. corrupted fusion drive).

What does the "S.O.S" check in disk utility tells?