According to Tom's Guide, a tech support forum, and a Samsung community forum, Samsung TVs can suddenly stop reading USB ports. They can work one minute and stop working the next. If this has happened to you, you are not alone.
Below are forums demonstrating the problem. We have collected several solutions, and also provide Samsung manual pages below.
FORUMS WHERE USERS ASK WHY THEIR SAMSUNG TVS HAVE STOPPED SEEING USB PORTS
https://forums.tomsguide.com/threads/samsung-tv-wont-recognise-usb-flash-drive.133470/
https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/tv/samsung-tv-stopped-reading-usb-drives/td-p/787736 (236 REPLIES!)
SOLUTIONS
Remove External Devices.
Go into Settings into External Devices Manager and remove all phones, tablets etc. Switch off the TV, disconnect the USB drive and turned on TV. How to change to the External Device Manager: https://www.samsung.com/ph/support/tv-audio-video/2022-how-to-change-to-an-external-device-screen-on-your-samsung-tv/
Choose Media, then Videos
I have a 32" (newer) Samsung LED TV that is not a Smart TV. USB's won't play through "source" you have to hit a button that says "Media" and then "Videos" and it will recognize it that way. I haven't seen a Samsung TV (that isn't a Smart TV) without this feature.
Reset Smart Hub
Go to Menu / Smart Hub / Reset smart hub / Use code 0000 That's how I got my Samsung 55 to work again.
FROM A SAMSUNG TV MANUAL
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