Data Recovery

Why Does My Gopro Says SD Card Error and How to Fix

by Anna Sherry   Updated on 2021-12-22 / Update for  Card Data

When you buy a GoPro device and use an SD card with it, you are likely going to come across various GoPro SD card error like GoPro SD card error when recording. Most of these errors are due to your SD card not being compatible with the device. However, there could be other reasons as well as to why your GoPro refuses to work with the given SD card.Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to fix Gopro SD card error. In the following guide, you will learn why you have SD card error on GoPro Hero 5 Black, 5, 4, 3 and how you can go about fixing it. You will learn multiple methods of fixing the issue, so if one does not work, you have another to try.

Part 1. What Causes SD Error Card Error Gopro?

Before you move onto the solutions, you might want to know what the culprit is. There are many things responsible for the GoPro SD card error and the following are some of those.

1. SD card is not correctly inserted

The common reason why your GoPro does not work with your SD card is because the SD card is not properly inserted. A lot of people, mostly in rush, do not put the card the way it should be put and that causes an issue with the device.

2. GoPro SD card is not properly formatted

If your SD card is not formatted in the correct format for your GoPro, it will not work with your device.

3. GoPro SD card read and write speed is not fast enough

An SD card should have sufficient speeds to work with a GoPro device, and if yours does not have it, it will not work with the device.

4. Firmware is not updated

The firmware on your GoPro must be up to date as older firmwares are known to cause issues with reading and writing to SD cards.

5. GoPro SD card is not clean

If your SD card has collected dust or any other particles, it will likely not be in a readable condition and your GoPro cannot work with it.

6. Wrong type of card

A GoPro device only reads an SD card that is compatible with it. If you are using a card that your device does not support, it is obviously not going to work.

You should now aware of what causes SD error card error GoPro.

Part 2. How to Fix NO SD or SD ERR on GoPro?

Now that you know the causes of the GoPro Hero SD card error, here are some of the solutions you can try to fix it.

Way 1. Check if the SD card is correctly inserted

sd card insert

The first thing is to check if the SD card is properly inserted. Consult the manual that came with your device and learn how to insert a card.

Way 2. Power off and restart GoPro camera

Rebooting your GoPro should also fix the SD card issue for you. Simply turn the GoPro off. When it is fully turned off, turn it on.

Way 3. Clean the SD card metal pieces

Clean the SD card using a clean cloth to remove any dust or other particles from it.

Way 4. Format SD card to Fix GoPro SD Error

Try formatting your SD card to see if it works with your GoPro device. This will wipe the SD card clean of all data including any potential issues that may have been causing the error.

Format SD Cards in a GoPro Using On-Camera Menus

Step 1. Inset the SD card to your GoPro camera and turn it on.

Step 2. Enter the Settings menu and select the trash can icon to Delete All/Format your SD card.

format sd card on gopro

Format SD Cards Using the GoPro Mobile App

Step 1. Insert the microSD card into the camera. Connect the camera to the GoPro app via Wifi/Bluetooth.

Step 2. In the GoPro app, go into Settings and scroll down to the Delete Section.

Step 3. Choose Delete All Files from SD Card.

format sd card gopro

Format Your SD Card on Your Computer

You can also format the SD card your Mac / Windows computer. Insert your card into a card reader, connect the card reader to your computer, right-click on your card, and select Format.

format sd card gopro

Way 5. Update Firmware to Fix GoPro No SD or SD Error

If you are running an older version of firmware on your GoPro, you might want to bring it up to date.

To update the firmware, please connect the GoPro to the computer. Next, figure out which GoPro model you're using, find the firmware update here, follow the instruction to install it. It will get your GoPro updated to the latest version of firmware available.

Way 6. Use another SD Card with Higher Read and Write Speed

If insufficient speeds is why your SD card is not working with your GoPro, consider replacing your card with a faster one. There are dozens of these cards available online on sites like Amazon.

For further validation, please try a secondary card from GoPro Recommended List for the best performance.

Part 3. How to Recover GoPro Videos Lost due to GoPro SD Card Error?

SD card errors are known to cause data losses, especially video files losses. If you have lost any of your files due to this error, you might want to use a software to recover your files.

Tenorshare 4DDiG for Windows Data Recovery is a perfect choice when it comes to recovering files from a GoPro SD card, although it works to recover files from any device. It comes with the following features for its users.

  • Retrieve many types of files including photos, videos, music, documents and other 550+ files.
  • Recover files lost deleted or formatted files from your device
  • High success rate
  • User-friendly interface
  • Secure file recovery

Using the software to recover your files is a breeze and the following shows how to do it.

Step 1 Connect your SD card to your PC. Then download and launch the software on your PC. Select your SD card and click on "Scan".

pick location

Step 2 After scanning process finish, you whole files on the SD card will be scanned out, you can used the preview function to preview yourscanned files and simply choose the files you want to recover.

preview deleted photos

Step 3 Click on "Recover" and choose the folder to put your recovered files in. Wait for the recover process finish and you SD files will be back.

recover deleted photos from SD card

Summary

The above guide answers your "why does my GoPro says SD card error" and shows you the fixes to fix your SD card error and to get your card to work with your device. Tenorshare 4DDiG for Windows Data Recovery is recommended if you have any data lost due to GoPro SD card Error.