I found what I thought was a fairly new 2TB SkyHawk internal SSD and took it home because I could use the extra storage. I tested my drive reader with another working drive, but this one never appeared on my laptop. It also makes a sound like something is trying—and failing—to spin up. I don't know much about storage hardware, so I'm wondering whether there's anything practical I can do to diagnose or repair it.
2 Answers
There was probably a reason it ended up in the trash. You can check whether the drive is recognized in your computer’s disk-management utility and try a different cable or powered adapter, but don’t open it in a normal room or keep retrying it if it’s making unusual noises. If it contains important data, professional recovery is the safer option; otherwise, take it to an electronics recycling facility.
SkyHawk models are generally mechanical hard disk drives, not SSDs. The spinning noise is the giveaway: SSDs have no moving parts and should be silent. If the drive is clicking, struggling to spin, or isn’t detected, it probably has a mechanical failure. A repair usually isn’t practical for a 2TB drive unless the data on it is especially valuable, so recycle it rather than relying on it for storage.

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