The bug primarily affects systems with activated storage space optimization. Users are at risk of data loss. Apple is now aware of the problem.
The recently released update to macOS Sonoma 14.4 appears to contain a bug that causes different versions of files backed up to iCloud Drive to be lost. That reports AppleInsider citing The Eclectic Light Company. Users who have activated the option to optimize the storage space on their Mac are particularly affected.
Actually, when the local version of a file is deleted, iCloud Drive is supposed to continue to hold the cloud version and allow a user to download it again at a later date and make it available locally. However, according to the report, the error in macOS 14.4 means that the file in iCloud Drive is also deleted along with the local file – and therefore recovery is not possible.
Those affected are now advised to disable the option to optimize their Mac’s storage space. During optimization, local versions of files are automatically deleted. However, on macOS 14.4 they also disappear from cloud backup.
According to AppleInsider, the error has now been reported to Apple. However, it is unclear when the company will provide a fix.