GoPro Hero 11 F39 Error Code Fix

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What This Error Means

F39 on a GoPro Hero 11 means the camera hit a boot/SD card fault bad enough to stop it from starting or recording. In real terms: the Hero 11 is failing its startup self-check, usually because of the SD card, the file system on it, or glitchy firmware.

Official Fix

This is the playbook GoPro support and the manual want you to run through first:

  • Power-cycle everything
    Kill power completely. Pop the battery out. Pull the SD card. Wait 30 seconds. Put the battery back in first, then the SD card. Power it up and see if F39 is gone.
  • Check the SD card type
    The Hero 11 is picky. You need a UHS-I, V30 (or better) microSD from a real brand (SanDisk Extreme, Samsung Evo/Pro, Lexar, etc.). No cheap mystery cards. If in doubt, grab a known-good card and test with that.
  • Format the SD card in the camera
    If it boots at all: Settings > Preferences > Reset > Format SD Card (wording may vary slightly). This wipes the card and rebuilds the file system the way the GoPro expects.
  • Update firmware the official way
    Use the GoPro Quik app on your phone or GoPro updater on PC/Mac. Connect, let it detect the camera, and install any pending firmware update. A half-baked or old firmware can trigger F39-type boot errors.
  • Factory reset the camera
    With a good card in: Settings > Preferences > Reset > Factory Reset. This blows away settings and sometimes clears stubborn boot flags tied to errors like F39.
  • Test with no SD card
    Remove the SD card and power on. If the camera powers up clean and sits happy without F39, the SD card or its formatting is the problem. Replace or reformat the card.
  • If F39 stays
    GoPro’s official next step: stop fighting it and contact GoPro Support. They’ll walk through the same script, then push repair or replacement if it’s a hardware fault.

The Technician’s Trick

When the basic script doesn’t clear F39, this is the bench-tech routine that actually gets them going again.

  • Rule out power weirdness first
    Bad or clone batteries cause crazy errors.
    • Pull the battery and SD card.
    • Plug the camera into a solid USB wall charger with no battery inside.
    • Try powering it on. If it wakes up fine on USB but not on battery, swap in a known-good GoPro Hero 11 (Enduro) battery.
  • Boot completely with no SD card
    Don’t just see if the logo shows up. Let it sit powered on for a minute with no card.
    • If it stays stable, menus work, and no F39 pops, your issue is 99% card or slot, not the mainboard.
  • Deep-clean and check the SD slot
    Quick, careful check, no hero moves here.
    • Use a bright light. Look into the SD slot for bent pins, corrosion, or fuzz.
    • Blow dry compressed air in short bursts into the slot. No liquid cleaners, no WD-40, no alcohol drips.
    • If you see bent pins or green/white corrosion, stop. That’s board-level work, not a kitchen-table repair.
  • PC “full” format before in-camera format
    Sometimes the card’s file system is just mangled.
    • Put the card in a PC.
    • Backup anything you care about. It’s going to be wiped.
    • Do a full (not quick) format as exFAT.
    • Put the card back in the GoPro and run the in-camera format again.
    • Now test for F39.
  • Manual firmware reload from SD
    If F39 started after a failed or random update, force a clean firmware load.
    • On a PC, download the latest Hero 11 firmware from GoPro’s official site.
    • Unzip it and copy the UPDATE folder onto a freshly formatted SD card (nothing else on it).
    • Put battery and card in the camera, then power it on and leave it alone. It should auto-run the update (can take several minutes, with beeps and restarts).
    • When it’s done, remove and reinsert the battery, then boot and check for F39.
  • Heat / water damage check
    F39 plus these signs usually means hardware is toast:
    • Fogging under the lens or displays.
    • Rust, green corrosion, or white crust in the battery or SD bay.
    • Burnt smell or melted plastic anywhere.

    If you see any of that, don’t keep forcing power. That’s mainboard-level damage.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Camera is under 3 years old, no signs of water or impact damage, and F39 only shows with one SD card or after a botched update.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Out of warranty, shows F39 across multiple good cards but still boots sometimes. Worth a shot if you’re comfortable with manual firmware and testing a new card/battery.
  • ❌ Replace: Corrosion, crack in the body, obvious water intrusion, or F39 persists after a new SD card, new battery, and clean firmware reload. Mainboard repair usually costs too close to a newer GoPro.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

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