Did you try a search on the Internet?
I spent the afternoon searching for solutions before posting here.
Most obvious source of problems is a lack of power. My SATA adapter has external power so that shouldn't be the issue.
I have a different model somewhere that I'm trying to find. I will give it a try.
There's lots of info about formatting on Linux but nothing really too useful or definitive that I have found.
I'm curious if SSDs are even supported, or if anyone else has one working.
I'm trying to determine if the problem has to do with the drive or the Pi.
If the drive has issues then it's going back, if the Pi is the issue then I'll keep it as a paper weight.
(Or a Christmas present for Jim)
I have the weekend to figure it out. I'm leaving for a month on Tuesday, so if it's getting returned I need to know by then.