Windows desktop accessing Icloud files #98685

https://thebrain.zendesk.com/agent/tickets/98685

Hello Greg,

Thank you for getting back in touch. I understand the frustration, iCloud files are a bit different from normal folders on Windows, so I’m glad to help clarify how this works.

TheBrain can only import files that exist locally on your Windows machine. Files that appear in iCloud.com in the browser are not actually stored on the PC yet, so they won’t appear in TheBrain until Windows has a local copy of them.

Here’s the approach that will work:

1. Enable iCloud Drive on your Windows computer
2. Install the official iCloud for Windows app and make sure “iCloud Drive” is enabled.
3. This will create a local folder on your PC (usually iCloud Drive) that contains synced copies of your files.
5. Wait for Windows to download the folders/files locally
6. In File Explorer, make sure the folders you want to import show the green checkmark icon (meaning fully downloaded).
7. Files that show a cloud icon have not been downloaded yet, and TheBrain cannot read them.
9. Import into TheBrain
10. Once the folders exist locally:
11. • Open TheBrain
12. • Go to File > Import > Folder
13. • Select the local iCloud folder
14. The behavior will be:
15. • Each folder becomes a thought
16. • Each file becomes an attachment on that thought
17. • Subfolders become child thoughts

This gives you a full, indexed structure inside TheBrain, making everything searchable and easier to organize. Let me know how it works, if you still face difficulties we can schedule a web meeting this Friday.

Best regards,

John