Comment 3 for bug 113144

This is a very good description of the problem I have too on my HP dv9000 laptop.

uname -a:
Linux hp-pc 2.6.22-14-generic #1 SMP Sun Oct 14 21:45:15 GMT 2007 x86_64 GNU/Linux
I boot this kernel with the noapic irqpoll options.

I can get you a full dmesg copy if you really need it, but as far as I can say, the only relevant part in the log looks like:
[19145.388805] hda: drive not ready for command
[19145.388837] hda: status error: status=0x59 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest Error }
[19145.388842] hda: status error: error=0x40 { LastFailedSense=0x04 }
[19145.388845] ide: failed opcode was: unknown
and is repeated over and over again.

The dmesg flooding usually starts after a message pops up on my screen saying a new medium was detected (even though I am not using the DVD drive in any manner). This seems completely unpredictable. hdparm -w successfully stops the error message list. Unmounting (right click / unmount from the desktop) the ghost medium does nothing. The system is still normally responsive when the bug occurs.

Relevant output of smartctl -a /dev/hda
 Device Model: MATSHITADVD-RAM UJ-850S
 Serial Number: HA32 037777
 Firmware Version: 1.05
 Device is: Not in smartctl database [for details use: -P showall]
 ATA Version is: 6
 ATA Standard is: Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated
 SMART support is: Unavailable - Packet Interface Devices [this device: CD/DVD] don't support ATA SMART

Before you suggest, I could not find any firmware update for this drive. If there is one, please let me know!

Also let me know if you need any more information.