How to Factory Reset GoPro HERO 3 and Recover Lost Data

Need to reset your GoPro HERO 3? This guide explains how to restore factory settings, reset the WiFi password, and fix common camera issues step by step.

Before resetting, make sure to back up your photos and videos to avoid data loss. If files are missing after the reset, you can also learn how to recover lost GoPro data.

Quick Answer:

Why Reset GoPro HERO 3

Resetting GoPro HERO 3 can help fix camera issues, restore default settings, reset WiFi connections, or prepare the camera for resale.

Depending on your situation, you can reset your GoPro HERO 3 by restoring factory settings or resetting the WiFi connection. Follow the steps below to learn how to reset GoPro HERO 3.

How to Reset GoPro HERO 3?

If your GoPro HERO 3 is not working properly, resetting the camera can help fix issues caused by incorrect settings, software glitches, or connection problems. A factory reset restores the default settings and gives your camera a fresh start.

Follow the steps below to reset your GoPro HERO 3 and get it back to the default configuration.

Step 1: Press and hold the Shutter (S) button.

Step 2: Press the power (P) button while holding down the Shutter button.

Step 3: When the camera is powered on, it will be set to all factory defaults.

Reset HERO 4 to Factory Settings (Black and Silver Edition)

• With the camera on, press the Mode button (front) until you see the Settings Gear
• Navigate to the Setup Gear
• Press the Shutter button (top) to select it.
• Press the Mode button (front) until Reset cam is highlighted.
• Use the Shutter button (top) to select this option Reset Cam.
• When your camera is turned on again, the settings will all be reset to their original settings.

How to Recover Lost Photos and Videos after GoPro Reset?

If you accidentally delete photos or videos, format your SD card, or cannot access your GoPro HERO 3 files after resetting the camera, you may still be able to recover them with a data recovery tool.

MiniTool Partition Wizard is a reliable data recovery solution that can help scan your SD card and recover lost photos, videos, and other files from your GoPro HERO 3.

MiniTool Partition Wizard DemoClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Here is the tutorial on how to recover photos and videos from the GoPro SD card.

Step 1: Plug the SD card into the computer through an SD card reader.

Step 2: Launch the MiniTool software to enter its interface and click Date Recover from the top toolbar.

Step 3: Now, you can select the SD card partition where the lost files are stored and click on Scan.

Step 4: Then wait for the scanning process to complete. If you have found the lost photos and videos during the scanning, you can click on Pause or Stop to get instant data recovery. Also, you can click on Find, and then type the File name in the search bar to find it quickly.

Step 5: Once the scan is complete, check all items you need to recover and click on Save.

Step 6: In the pop-up window, select a directory to save the selected files and click on OK.

How to Reset WiFi Password on GoPro HERO 3?

Why do you need to reset GoPro WiFi password? Before we discuss how to reset WiFi password GoPro HERO 3, below we have listed the various reasons why you may need to reset GoPro HERO 3 WiFi password:

1. Pair your GoPro HERO 3 with your GoPro app

To make it easier for you to use your GoPro Hero3, there’s an official GoPro app called Quik that you can pair with the camera. This makes transferring files from the GoPro HERO 3 camera more efficient. Now you don’t need to insert an SD card into your laptop every time to see what you’re shooting. Instead, you can do it in minutes with the help of your GoPro HERO 3 WiFi.

However, to pair your camera with the GoPro app, you will need to reset the connection as the default GoPro password is the same for every user. This means that someone can easily access your files if you don’t reset the connection. Therefore, you must change your GoPro password to one that only you know.

2. Forgot your camera name and password

This is usually the reason why many people want to reset their connection settings.

3. WiFi connection error

Another reason many people reset their WiFi completely is some bug in a software or firmware update. Resetting Wi-Fi passwords in GoPro HERO 3 is easy. However, if this is your first attempt to pair the GoPro App with your camera, you should use the default passcode, which is “goprohero“.

You don’t need to worry as you can change this default password after pairing it with your GoPro HERO 3 camera.

However, if this is not your first time pairing the camera, you will need to change the camera name and password by visiting the GoPro web page.

We’ve divided it into three sections that you can follow.

• Wireless network update
• Transfer root folder to SD card
• Reconnect to WiFi

Wireless Network Update

Here’s how to reset the password in the GoPro HERO3 via a WiFi update only:

Step 1: Click this link. Once the GoPro HERO3 update page opens, click the Update your camera manually option.

Step 2: When a new window opens, enter your serial number and registration information, such as email. Then click Next Step to move on.

Step 3: After opening the new window by clicking the blue checkmark, select the Wi-Fi Update Only option. Then click Next Step.

Step 4: After that, enter your new camera name and password.

Step 5: If you receive the WiFi reset successful message, select Next.

Step 6: This will download the update root folder.

Transfer Update Folder to SD Card

To successfully reset your GoPro password, you will need to transfer the update folder to the SD card now. Here is the guide.

Step 1: Plug the SD card into the computer through an SD card reader.

Step 2: Copy the contents of the update folder to the root folder, which is located on the camera’s microSD card. Remember to only copy files to the root directory and not the entire folder. Otherwise, it may not work properly.

Step 3: Then unplug your GoPro. This should turn your camera off automatically.

Step 4: Now press the Shutter button to turn it back on. The GoPro should display on the status screen that it is currently updating.

Step 5: Wait until your GoPro turns off again, which means it’s done.

Reconnect to WiFi

After resetting your GoPro, turn it on and connect your device to the WiFi network with the new password and name. Here is the guide.

Step 1: Open your GoPro Quik app. Then on your home page, click the icon in the upper left corner.

Step 2: If you have iOS, click Add Camera. However, if you have an Android phone, click Camera. Then choose Hero 3.

Step 3: After that, select your GoPro camera.

Step 4: Click the Wi-Fi mode button on the left side of the camera. Select the Wi-Fi mode button again and search for Wi-Fi option on the home screen. After that, press the Shutter button.

Step 6: Click the Power button on the front of the camera to highlight GoPro Quik.

Step 7: After that, press the Shutter button to select it. The blue light will start blinking, indicating that Wi-Fi is on.

Step 8: Now connect your phone to the GoPro’s WiFi network. And find the camera name in the list of all available WiFi networks.

Step 9: Then enter the new password and camera name.

Once your device is connected to your GoPro’s WiFi network, you can use your new password and camera name.

How to reset GoPro HERO 3? And how to reset GoPro HERO 3 WiFi password and name? Don’t worry. You can read this post to know the detailed steps. Twitter

Bonus: Wipe All Date Before Selling or Deserting a GoPro

As you know, it is important and necessary to permanently wipe all your private data to prevent potential data recovery.

As to the SD card wiper, MiniTool Partition Wizard is also a good choice. Its Wipe Disk function offers 5 different wiping methods.

MiniTool Partition Wizard FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Actually, the steps to wipe the GoPro SD card with MiniTool Partition are very simple. Now you can follow the steps below to erase the SD card.

Step 1: Plug the SD card into the computer through an SD card reader.

Step 2: Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard and enter its interface. Then select your SD card.

Step 3: Choose Wipe Disk from the Left action pane.

Step 4: Choose one of the five wiping methods listed on the pop-out window and click OK.

• Fill Sectors with Zero and Fill Sectors with One: They just write the same code to the partition, which is similar to the full format in Windows.
• Fill sectors with Zero & One: It will randomly write zeros and ones to partition, which makes data more unrecoverable.
• DoD 5220.22-M (3 passes): It is recommended if users want to get rid of the data permanently.
• DoD 5220.28-STD (7 passes): It provides a higher security level for data because it has more passes than DoD 5220.22-M (3 passes).

Step 5: Click the Apply button to execute the pending operation.

By following the steps in this post, I successfully erased the GoPro SD card. Now I can sell my GoPro without worrying about data leaks.Click to Tweet

Bottom Line

In this post, we tell you how to reset GoPro HERO 3 and how to recover lost photos and videos after GoPro reset. I believe this post may help you to do that. And if you have any ideas about the subject, write them down in the comment area below. If you encounter any problem when using the MiniTool Partition Wizard software, you can contact us via [email protected].