Ive had this problem a few times now. I woke this morning to find I cant
save anything again. I found these errors in log/messages:


Jul 24 07:38:03 wadesmart kernel: [52392.981494] ata5: soft resetting link
Jul 24 07:38:08 wadesmart kernel: [52398.141468] ata5.00: qc timeout
(cmd 0xec)
Jul 24 07:38:08 wadesmart kernel: [52398.141497] ata5.00: failed to
IDENTIFY (I/O error, err_mask=0x5)
Jul 24 07:38:08 wadesmart kernel: [52398.141580] ata5: soft resetting link
Jul 24 07:38:18 wadesmart kernel: [52408.300991] ata5.00: qc timeout
(cmd 0xec)
Jul 24 07:38:18 wadesmart kernel: [52408.301023] ata5.00: failed to
IDENTIFY (I/O error, err_mask=0x5)
Jul 24 07:38:18 wadesmart kernel: [52408.301109] ata5: soft resetting link
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.461459] ata5.00: qc timeout
(cmd 0xec)
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.461488] ata5.00: failed to
IDENTIFY (I/O error, err_mask=0x5)
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.461492] ata5.00: disabled
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.461620] ata5: soft resetting link
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621766] ata5: EH complete
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621781] sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb]
Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK,SUGGEST_OK
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621831] sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb]
Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK,SUGGEST_OK
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621838] lost page write due to
I/O error on sdb5
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621867] sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb]
Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK,SUGGEST_OK
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621896] ------------[ cut here
]------------
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621897] WARNING: at
/build/buildd/linux-2.6.28/fs/buffer.c:1186 mark_buffer_dirty+0x75/0x90()
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621899] Modules linked in:
xt_limit xt_tcpudp ipt_LOG ipt_MASQUERADE xt_DSCP ipt_REJECT
nf_conntrack_irc nf_conntrack_ftp xt_state binfmt_misc radeon drm bridge
stp bnep video output input_polldev lp snd_hda_intel snd_pcm_oss
snd_mixer_oss snd_pcm snd_seq_dummy snd_seq_oss iptable_nat snd_seq_midi
nf_nat snd_rawmidi nf_conntrack_ipv4 nf_conntrack snd_seq_midi_event
nf_defrag_ipv4 snd_seq iptable_mangle snd_timer snd_seq_device
iptable_filter ip_tables x_tables snd joydev iTCO_wdt soundcore
lmpcm_usb hid_microsoft psmouse intel_agp agpgart ppdev snd_page_alloc
iTCO_vendor_support serio_raw usbhid pcspkr parport_pc parport sky2
ohci1394 ieee1394 floppy fbcon tileblit font bitblit softcursor
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621942] Pid: 4606, comm:
updatedb.mlocat Not tainted 2.6.28-19-server #61-Ubuntu
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621943] Call Trace:
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621947] [<c050b6f6>] ?
printk+0x18/0x1a
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621950] [<c01413a4>]
warn_on_slowpath+0x54/0x80
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621953] [<c034d700>] ?
vt_console_print+0x210/0x320
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621956] [<c050d738>] ?
_spin_trylock+0x8/0x20
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621958] [<c034d720>] ?
vt_console_print+0x230/0x320
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621960] [<c034d4f0>] ?
vt_console_print+0x0/0x320
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621962] [<c0141b79>] ?
release_console_sem+0x1c9/0x200
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621964] [<c01e6e85>]
mark_buffer_dirty+0x75/0x90
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621967] [<c0223026>]
ext3_commit_super+0x46/0x70
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621969] [<c0225328>]
ext3_handle_error+0x48/0xb0
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621971] [<c050b6f6>] ?
printk+0x18/0x1a
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621973] [<c0225451>]
ext3_error+0x51/0x60
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621975] [<c02218bc>]
ext3_find_entry+0x35c/0x3f0
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621977] [<c01d8ef6>] ?
alloc_inode+0x116/0x1d0
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621980] [<c01d5f55>] ?
d_rehash+0x45/0x60
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621981] [<c022198d>]
ext3_lookup+0x3d/0xd0
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621983] [<c050d8d8>] ?
_spin_lock+0x8/0x10
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621985] [<c01d8127>] ?
d_alloc+0x137/0x190
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621988] [<c01cff07>]
real_lookup+0xa7/0x110
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621989] [<c01cfff5>]
do_lookup+0x85/0xc0
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621991] [<c01d0565>]
__link_path_walk+0x535/0xb30
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621993] [<c01d7cf9>] ?
__d_lookup+0xe9/0x110
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621995] [<c01d0fb4>]
path_walk+0x54/0xb0
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621997] [<c01d114e>]
do_path_lookup+0xae/0x190
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.621999] [<c01d1d8a>]
user_path_at+0x4a/0x80
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.622002] [<c01c9fb4>] ?
cp_new_stat64+0xe4/0x100
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.622004] [<c01ca4ee>]
vfs_lstat_fd+0x1e/0x50
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.622006] [<c01ca591>]
vfs_lstat+0x11/0x20
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.622008] [<c01ca5b4>]
sys_lstat64+0x14/0x30
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.622010] [<c01d81a4>] ?
d_add_ci+0x24/0x190
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.622013] [<c0109eef>]
sysenter_do_call+0x12/0x2f
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.622014] ---[ end trace
adafb9769ee5a4eb ]---
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.622020] sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb]
Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK,SUGGEST_OK
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.622026] lost page write due to
I/O error on sdb5
Jul 24 07:38:48 wadesmart kernel: [52438.709518] sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb]
Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK,SUGGEST_OK

Jul 24 07:39:13 wadesmart kernel: [52463.236359] sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb]
Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK,SUGGEST_OK
Jul 24 07:39:13 wadesmart kernel: [52463.236366] __ratelimit: 149
callbacks suppressed
Jul 24 07:39:13 wadesmart kernel: [52463.236401] sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb]
Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK,SUGGEST_OK
Jul 24 07:39:13 wadesmart kernel: [52463.236406] lost page write due to
I/O error on sdb5
Jul 24 07:39:13 wadesmart kernel: [52463.236422] sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb]
Result: hostbyte=DID_BAD_TARGET driverbyte=DRIVER_OK,SUGGEST_OK