16.04 problems - install, inactive/suspend, hard disk

[rikona]

New install, new hardware MSI 970A-G43+, AMD FX6350, 16Gb, 480G SSD,
and 3G WD hard disk. SSD has /, 3G is 1 partition, will have data
[~2Gb will be copied from old box.]

Install from CD went well. Did update in 'chunks' - security stuff
went well, non-security hung at "preparation of thermald" - crash, box
not responding. Powered down, reboot, no logon screen, reboot/fiddled
a few times & finally got logon screen with an error screen, got pix
of errors - can send these if needed. Could logon OK, but tried
another reboot which came up with no errors. Finished the update,
installed a lot of pgms and things seemed to be going well - looked
like it was working. I'm not sure if the thermald error got fixed or
not. Any way to tell?

Left the box for about an hour or so. When I came back, black screen
BUT could get nothing else with mouse move or keys. Power down, was OK
when it came back up. Finally reset parameters to not shut down, so
stays on all the time now. Would like to get it to reduce power and
still work when I come come back, though. How can I get it to do that?

Next problem was the 3Gb HD. When I try to access it in any way, the
HD light flashes for at least an hour [longest I waited before
unmounting it]. One partition, ext4. Tried deleting the partition &
redoing it both with the disk utility and gparted. Neither one solved
the flashing light problem. [[ the light seems to flash properly when
accessing the SSD, so it looks like the light is OK.]] Flashes are one
longish flash, about 50 or so fast flashes too fast to count, then
back to longish and repeat endlessly.

I can put stuff on the disk, see it and manipulate it in a FM, so in
that sense, the disk seems to be working. But the flashing light never
stops - the only way to get it to stop is to unmount it.

Not sure what is going on. I'd appreciate some help in figuring this
out and fixing it, and please let me know if you need more info - the
above is a bit general, but I'm not sure what would be most helpful.

thanks

  rikona