NTFS not seen in Kubuntu 24

[Stephen Constantinou]

Dear All

I am a low ability user.  I have been using Kubuntu 22.04.  I also ran
VirtualBox with Windows 11 as a virtual machine.  I was saving lots of
data onto an external HDD which was formatted many years ago as NTFS.
It was readable/writable in both Windows and Linux. Life was sweet.

I upgraded by way of complete reinstall, to Kubuntu 24.  Which meant
reinstalling VirtualBox. VirtualBox had too many problems so I now use
Vmware.

Next, as my external HDD (NTFS) was sounding poorly, I copied the
essential files to the Kubuntu slave drive.  I brought a replacement
HDD.  I formatted it using Gparted on a laptop whose HDD I disconnected,
as NTFS.  A Windows laptop can see the drive.  Kubuntu cannot see it.
Windows as a VM can see it but not in the sense of a listed device that
allows Dolphin to see the files.  Instead, the Windows VM recognises the
external HDD (Virtual Machine > Removable Device > Innostar Removable
Disk) and gives me the option to Disconnect/Connect to host.  Annoying.

Believing myself to be clever, I connected the extHDD to the Windows
machine and formatted it again as NTFS.  No improvement.

So I am in the annoying position that an upgrade to Kubuntu 24 means I
have lost a type of functionality that I need, because I still have to
use Windows for work purposes.

Any help appreciated.  I would even consider dumping Kubuntu for another
flavour of Linux.