💡 This article is written by humans, with all solutions and steps verified.
The GoPro camera has become a must-have tool for many sports enthusiasts because of its outstanding stabilization and excellent image quality. However, for various reasons, these captured videos may disappear from your screen. If you are reading this article, you may have encountered this situation too. Don't worry. In most cases, you won't lose them forever. In this guide, we will explain the reasons and provide verified methods for how to recover GoPro footage on Windows PC and Mac.
Right now, your main concern is whether these files can be recovered. In fact, it depends on how you lost them. Next, let's look at common GoPro video loss scenarios and their recovery success rates.
| Footage Lost Scenarios | What Happens | Probability of Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| You accidentally deleted files from the GoPro or computer. | They disappear immediately, but the real content isn't deleted. | Higth |
| You formatted the GoPro camera SD card with the default method. | Resetting the file system does not destroy the data previously saved there. The data simply becomes inaccessible because its index information has been removed. | Higth |
| Incorrect operations make your GoPro videos go missing during transfer. | The files seem missing, but they still exist. | Higth |
| The file system of the device used to store GoPro videos has become corrupted. For example, it prompts you to format it, errors occur when you try to access its files, it displays anomalies etc. | The system cannot read the drive, but the files are still on it. | Higth |
| When formatting, you unchecked "Quick Format" (Windows), adjusted the security level (Mac), or used a third-party erasing tool. | The previous file will be overwritten and lost permanently. | Impossible. Unless you stopped the erasure process, you may still be able to recover some GoPro videos. |
| Your SD card or other storage device is physically damaged, such as being bent, cracked, or suffering from controller failure. | - | This depends on whether the flash memory chip is intact, and you can only seek help from a professional data recovery service. |
As mentioned above, in most cases, you still have a chance to recover GoPro files from the SD card or hard drive. However, the following several important points will also positively affect the final result, so please be sure to follow them.
Now it’s time to discuss the actual recovery methods. Here we will introduce you 4 methods for your reference. None of them require advanced technical skills, though some need certain prerequisites.
If your GoPro videos were deleted after being transferred to your computer, then they should be put in the Windows Recycle Bin or the Mac Trash. Of course, they are there only if you did not delete them using the "Shift + Delete" or "Command + Option + Delete" key combinations. Once you find these deleted GoPro videos, simply select them and right-click to choose "Restore" or "Put Back".
Tip: Deleted the files from the Recycle Bin or Trash? Here are some ways to recover emptied Trash on a Mac or Windows PC.
If you're a GoPro Premium or Premium+ subscriber, the footage automatically uploads to the cloud when you connect the GoPro to a computer. Consequently, whether you lost the local files due to accidental deletion or SD card formatting, you can find copies in the cloud-based "Media Library." Also, even if you delete these GoPro videos from GoPro Cloud, they aren't permanently erased. Instead, they move to the "Recently Deleted" folder and stay there for 60 days.
For GoPro videos lost due to accidental deletion, formatting, or even SD card corruption, the best method is to use professional data recovery software. If you have never used such a tool, we recommend iBeesoft Data Recovery. Its algorithms are optimized for the specific fragmented storage method used by GoPro video formats (MP4, H.264/H.265), making sure you can get excellent recovery results. This is precisely the main reason why it outperforms other programs.
Sometimes, software solutions may not be able to assist, such as:
If you encounter one of the situations mentioned above, asking for help from a professional data recovery service is your last option. They can remove the memory chip from a damaged SD card and use specialized tools to get the GoPro footage. Although it costs much more than software solutions, they can usually help you recover lost GoPro videos. If it is worth it for you, then search for one near you to learn more.
SD card corruption is one reason you lose GoPro videos. A common symptom is a prompt requesting you to format the card before use. This error is usually caused by a file system error resulting from improper removal of the SD card. Fortunately, the following methods may help you fix this issue.
Tip: If the built-in tools don't work, formatting your SD card can solve the issue fundamentally. The drawback is that it will erase all data on the SD card. Consequently, you should use iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac or Windows to recover the GoPro files first, then format the card.
As you can see, if you follow our suggestions, the methods above can still recover GoPro footage even if your SD card is physically damaged. However, this is merely a remedial measure. Therefore, to truly ensure the safety of your data, please consider upgrading your account to Premium or Premium+ and make sure to use the SD card correctly.
Recovered GoPro video often can’t be opened because its metadata was corrupted when it was lost, such as a damaged file header, a missing index, or corrupted frames. In this case, you can try fixing these errors using tools like Stellar Repair for Video or Digital Video Repair.
If there are no damaged sectors, then we consider it completely unnecessary. iBeesoft Data Recovery scans the SD card in read-only mode, so it won't cause further damage to the data if you follow the correct steps. Instead, you need to create an image of the SD card.
No. Although these files are permanently deleted, it doesn't mean you will lose them forever. As long as you stop shooting new footage immediately and use professional software like iBeesoft Data Recovery, you can recover GoPro deleted videos successfully.
It is possible. In some cases, the "Partition Rescue > Repair RAW Partition" feature in iBeesoft Disk Partition Wizard can help you. Additionally, here are more methods for how to fix a RAW SD card without formatting.
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