Samsung Note8 unable to detect External Drive via OTG

[Jcldaquioag]

About two (2) weeks ago, using my Note8, i could mount, view, and edit data found in an external hard disk partition that can be any formatted in Windows FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, Macintosh HFS+ . The drive needs to be attached to the Samsung bundled OTG connector to the USB C of the phone. Been doing this for about a year now (since July 2020).

About a month ago, i bought a 256G SD card. I thought of transferring my Note8 data to this new 256G SD card. i saw an article sharing about a way to easily transfer the data between two phones. So I followed the suggestion by slotting in the 256G SD into my Note10+ and attached the USB C cable from my Note8 and attaching the other end of that cable with a USB OTG into the Note10+. The files app showed up on Note10+ screen and it showed me the contents of my Note8. I selected the files/folders that i needed to copy to the 256G SD mounted on my Note10+. It successfully copied the info i needed. That being done, I finally slotted the 256G SD into Note8. I've also granted the necessary permissions so that the apps of Note8 can utilise the new 256G SD .

About four weeks ago, I tried to mount my external hard drive via the USB OTG as per usual by using my Note8. To my surprise, Samsung Note8 did not prompt me the app that i can use to mount my drive. I kept waiting. As if my drive could not be detected. I manually opened the app in the hope of making it manually detect my drive. But it cannot see.

Worried, i tested my drive and attached it onto my Windows PC and Mac. The Mac is able to detect the drive. The Windows PC is able to detect the drive.

Then I attached my Note8 by USB to PC and Mac. The PC can mount the SD card and Internal memory data from my Note8. The Mac is unable to detect my phone via Android MTP app and therefore cannot see the SD card and internal memory data of my Note8. Did the same to my Note10+, PC and Mac can detect my Note10+.

So I went back to my Samsung Note10+, it could detect the drive through the app.

That means only my Samsung Note8 could not detect the drive conditionally.

On my Note8, as compared to my Note10+,

a) the app is not found through these step options: Settings.Apps.Default Apps.Set as default

b) the app info has the Set as default greyed out. It is not editable. I assume running the app will update this parameter. But running it does not update it anymore. Uninstalling/reinstalling does not help. Even clearing the cache of the app does not help.

c) the external drive cannot be detected/mounted. yet the PC is able to transfer data to and from the phone. 

How i wish. Can anyone help me regarding my situation ? 

How can i restore the original Samsung Note8 behaviour of recognising an external hard drive connected via USB OTG ?

Any advise is greatly appreciated.