Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

southerndoc

Contributor
Original poster
May 15, 2006
1,834
506
USA
I'm having an issue with macOS 13.2.1 where the desktop shortcut in the Finder sidebar keeps disappearing. I first noticed it with 13.2.

Is anyone else seeing that?
 

MacGizmo

macrumors 68040
Apr 27, 2003
3,135
2,458
Arizona
I've not encountered that on any of my Macs running Ventura 13.2.1, but that doesn't mean anything. You could simply have a corrupted Finder preference file or any number of other easily-resolved issues.
 

southerndoc

Contributor
Original poster
May 15, 2006
1,834
506
USA
I thought about a corrupted plist, but it's occurring on both MBA and Mac Studio. Maybe I'll delete it, restart, and reconfigure it.
 

MacGizmo

macrumors 68040
Apr 27, 2003
3,135
2,458
Arizona
Do you have Desktop & Documents Folders turned on in the iCloud>iCloud Drive preferences? Maybe that has something to do with it (if you do)? I'm just totally guessing here because I can't think of a reason that one single item refuses to stay put in the sidebar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fisherking

southerndoc

Contributor
Original poster
May 15, 2006
1,834
506
USA
Do you have Desktop & Documents Folders turned on in the iCloud>iCloud Drive preferences? Maybe that has something to do with it (if you do)? I'm just totally guessing here because I can't think of a reason that one single item refuses to stay put in the sidebar.
No, I'm not really using iCloud drive. It's not turned on to sync/upload to iCloud.
 

svenmany

macrumors demi-god
Jun 19, 2011
2,142
1,405
The Desktop shortcut often disappears from the sidebar. However, I do keep Desktop and Documents in iCloud, so I stopped fighting it and now access Desktop in the iCloud section of the sidebar.
 

fisherking

macrumors G4
Jul 16, 2010
11,183
5,516
ny somewhere
The Desktop shortcut often disappears from the sidebar. However, I do keep Desktop and Documents in iCloud, so I stopped fighting it and now access Desktop in the iCloud section of the sidebar.
never disappeared for me, on any of my macs, ever.... 🤔

(my desktop & docs are not in icloud..)...
 

svenmany

macrumors demi-god
Jun 19, 2011
2,142
1,405
never disappeared for me, on any of my macs, ever.... 🤔

(my desktop & docs are not in icloud..)...

I've always suspected the problem stems from them being in iCloud. I don't think I ever noticed such a problem before I started using iCloud Drive for that. I suspect most people wouldn't notice this bug since they wouldn't bother keep a shortcut separate from the one that already exists under the iCloud section. For me, the shortcuts can hang around for over a week before disappearing.

The OP's issue might be different, since they don't sync their Desktop to iCloud Drive.
 

jmv_colorado

macrumors newbie
Mar 27, 2023
1
0
Created an account here just to chime in… I'm having the SAME EXACT issue and it's driving me nuts. Or more specifically, making me think I'm nuts! I drag the Desktop shortcut in there, it stays for a while and then *poof* it's just gone. I've added it over a dozen times now. Hella frustrating.
 

rivederlestelle

macrumors newbie
May 10, 2023
1
0
The same thing happens to me, very annoying... most of the shortcuts to the sidebar disappear very often.
Also often my DOCUMENTS folder (in Spanish) is renamed to DOCUMENTS (in English) and I can't see the content.
 

NordicBoots

macrumors regular
Apr 9, 2019
162
52
Well, I followed one of the suggestions to create an alias for the Desktop and stored that one in my Home folder. Then I moved it to the sidebar and it's still there. I assume you can do the same trick for the Documents folder.
 
Last edited:

stradify

macrumors 6502
Jul 4, 2015
292
148
USA
I'm having an issue with macOS 13.2.1 where the desktop shortcut in the Finder sidebar keeps disappearing. I first noticed it with 13.2.

Is anyone else seeing that?
Not seeing that, but you might try Cmd-Shift-D
 
Last edited:

MichaPh

macrumors newbie
Sep 28, 2017
11
4
I have had the problem for several years spanning several os versions and macs. There are a lot of threads on the apple forums and reddit about it.

I have tried deleting the plist and restarting and it only helps for a while. I don't have syncing of desktop to iCloud, but I do have dropbox installed which I have seen suggested a few times as the cause. I don't know why it would be the cause.

It is frustrating.
 

stradify

macrumors 6502
Jul 4, 2015
292
148
USA
A bit of a long shot but you could try Command-dragging "Desktop" from the left pane of the Finder window
to the top of the finder window.
It'll create an alias there for the desktop.
desktop-icon_web.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: HDFan

southerndoc

Contributor
Original poster
May 15, 2006
1,834
506
USA
Mine seems to disappear not from the menu that pops up with double clicking the drive icon, but from the menu/sidebar when a file save dialog box pops up.
 

dnburgess

macrumors newbie
Jul 31, 2011
2
0
Earth
Late to the party here, but it just started happening to me. Having been a Mac user for longer than I care to remember, the first time, I thought I must have inadvertently done something weird. Then it happened again within a few days. I recently "upgraded" to Sonoma 14.2.1 and this isn't the only glitch. Safari became unusable, freezing all the time.
 

ccfman2004

macrumors newbie
Aug 12, 2006
3
1
I am using Monterey 12.7.5 and have the same issue with Desktop disappearing from the sidebar. It's the only that does that. All the other items like Documents, Downloads, Home Folder, Movies, Music and Pictures never disappear. This issue seems to have started a few weeks ago. This is really infuriating.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SalisburySam

blueflash99

macrumors member
Aug 30, 2011
31
1
I am using Sonoma 14.5 on a 2021 iMac and have had this issue since I bought the iMac. Every now and then Desktop disappears from under Favorites. No idea what causes this. I restore it under Finder>Settings>Sidebar and it comes back but it is not a permanent return. Agree with ccfman2004, it is extremely frustrating and would like to know the cause.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.