Use iCloud.com to download a small selection in its original format, then open the files on your computer. This gives you a separate batch to check before tackling your whole collection.
I would start with five familiar photos and one short video. Include a photo you cropped, if you have one: it helps show the difference between an original and an edited copy.
What you need
A Windows 11 computer, internet access, your Apple Account sign-in and enough free space for the download and extracted files. Use your own computer. Keep your iCloud collection unchanged throughout this exercise.
1. Choose a small batch
Open iCloud Photos in your browser and sign in. Check that you recognise the collection before proceeding.
Hold Ctrl while clicking the photos and video you want. Apple allows up to 1,000 selected items per download, but a handful is easier to check first.
Write down what you selected. For example: “five picnic photos, one video, one photo has a crop”. Add any important caption or family name to your note. A downloaded image alone may not preserve everything you see in the app.
2. Download the originals
Click the More button, shown as three dots, then More Download Options. Choose Unmodified Originals, then Download.
That choice preserves the format captured or imported. It does not promise the cropped or brightened appearance you see in Photos. Apple’s other choices serve different purposes; do not assume any Download button always gives originals.
Wait for the browser to finish. If you cannot tell whether it has finished, check its downloads list before starting another attempt. Record the download date and the option you chose.
3. Open the downloaded batch
Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer, then open Downloads, or the destination you chose in your browser.
If the download is a ZIP file, right-click it and choose Extract All…. Use Browse… to choose a new folder, then Extract. Give the destination a recognisable name, such as “iCloud picnic originals 2026-09-09”. Retain the ZIP while checking.
If a message asks to replace existing files, cancel and choose an empty destination. A fresh folder keeps this attempt separate from earlier downloads.
Double-click each photograph in the extracted folder. Play the video and check a point near its end. You are opening the saved files here, rather than looking at them again on iCloud.com.
4. Compare with your short list
Check the subject, useful detail and expected items. Right-click a photo, choose Properties, then Details to inspect available dimensions and date information. A recent file creation date may describe the download, not when the picture was taken.
Keep companion files, including any associated video from a Live Photo. One selected item can produce more than one file, so matching counts alone do not prove success.
If an important edit or caption is absent, mark it in your note. Keep the original and save the finished appearance separately through an appropriate export option; do not overwrite the original to make the two match. Copy an essential family description into your note beside its filename if needed.
Check your result
You should be able to find the folder, open every sample item and explain any missing edit, caption or motion. That is a checked sample, not proof of a complete library backup.
If an original will not open, keep it unchanged and note its file type. Do not fix it by changing its filename ending. A compatible viewing copy may help, but retain the original-format file.
When the sample is understood, repeat with clearly named batches. Leave enough space for both downloaded archives and their extracted contents. On a Mac, “Download Originals to this Mac” stores material inside the Photos library; it is a different route from this separate-folder exercise.
Next step
Copy the checked folder to a portable drive. Leave iCloud intact while you check that additional copy.
Sources and scope
Researched 9 September 2026; this procedure has not been tested on a Windows device for this article. Controls: Apple’s iCloud download guide and Microsoft’s ZIP instructions. The sample and checking method are editorial guidance.