Q: I've used iCloud (Apple's cloud storage service) on my Mac, but I find it confusing. I'd like to switch to Dropbox for cloud storage. How do I get disconnected from iCloud?
Bob Kruse, Oro Valley, Ariz.
A: You can turn off iCloud on your Mac. And you can do it without losing any data you might have stored on iCloud and nowhere else.
To disconnect from iCloud completely, select the Apple menu, then click "system preferences." Click "iCloud," and then click "sign out."
As a safety feature, your iCloud files will remain online, even though you are no longer connected to them. If you later discover that some files that you had before leaving iCloud are missing from your Mac — meaning they were stored only in iCloud — you can get them back by logging in to iCloud again and downloading the missing files (see "copy files from iCloud.com" at tinyurl.com/y9vrk36j).
Note that a slightly different set of commands is needed to retrieve photos or videos stored in iCloud (see the "photos and videos" section on the same website.)
Another option is to partly disconnect from iCloud. For example, you can opt out of having your Mac's mail, contacts, calendars, notes, reminders or photos synced to iCloud.
To do so, select the Apple menu, click system preferences and then click iCloud. Uncheck the box next to each feature that you would like to disconnect from iCloud.