[karmic amd64] kernel 2.6.31-generic can't handle SATA drive

Binary package hint: linux-image-2.6.31-4-generic

can't boot my box (HP-6715 laptop, see lshw & lspci output below ) with 2.6.31-*-generic kernel.

with default boot options, the kernel output is as follows:

================================================
[ 1.083191] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084085] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084188] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084309] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084386] ata1: SATA link down (SStatus 40D0000 SControl 1)
[ 1.084487] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084591] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084711] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084814] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085020] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085123] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085244] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085346] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085450] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085574] ata1: exception Emask 0x2 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x1 action 0x6 frozen t4
[ 1.085651] ata1: SError: { RecovData }
[ 1.085744] ata1: hard resetting link
etc etc etc.....................................
================================================
...... and this lasts forever.

when adding acpi=off boot parameter, the output is as follows:
================================================
[ 1.083191] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084085] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084188] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084309] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084386] ata1: SATA link down (SStatus 40D0000 SControl 1)
[ 1.084487] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084591] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084711] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.084814] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085020] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085123] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085244] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085346] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085450] ata1: illegal qc_active transition (00000000->00400040)
[ 1.085574] ata1: exception Emask 0x2 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x1 action 0x6 frozen t4
[ 1.085651] ata1: SError: { RecovData }
[ 1.085744] ata1: hard resetting link
................ snip ...................
[ 2.411898] ata1: EH pending after 5 tries, giving up
[ 2.411972] ata1: EH complete
[ 1.085744] ata1: hard resetting link
................ snip ...................
Gave up waiting for root device.
[ ... ]
ALERT! /dev/disk/by-uuid/88c85a22-7536-4b90-9ddb-06c8d73f1f8f does not exist. Dropping to a shell!
================================================

lshw output:
================================================
vimana
    description: Notebook
    product: HP Compaq 6715s (RU657EA#ACB)
    vendor: Hewlett-Packard
    version: F.07
    serial: CNU73515HC
    width: 64 bits
    capabilities: smbios-2.4 dmi-2.4 vsyscall64 vsyscall32
    configuration: boot=normal chassis=notebook uuid=1585823D-E515-E011-2594-6D990E38B129
  *-core
       description: Motherboard
       product: 30C2
       vendor: Hewlett-Packard
       physical id: 0
       version: KBC Version 71.28
     *-firmware
          description: BIOS
          vendor: Hewlett-Packard
          physical id: 0
          version: 68YTT Ver. F.07 (07/16/2007)
          size: 128KiB
          capacity: 960KiB
          capabilities: pci pcmcia pnp upgrade shadowing cdboot bootselect edd int13floppy720 int5printscreen int9keyboard int14

     *-pci:0
          description: Host bridge
          product: RS690 Host Bridge
          vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
          physical id: 100
          bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
          version: 00
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          configuration: latency=64
        *-pci:0
             description: PCI bridge
             product: RS690 PCI to PCI Bridge (Internal gfx)
             vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
             physical id: 1
             bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 66MHz
             capabilities: pci ht bus_master cap_list
             resources: ioport:4000(size=4096) memory:d0200000-d03fffff ioport:c0000000(size=134217728)
        *-pci:1
             description: PCI bridge
             product: ATI Technologies Inc
             vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
             physical id: 4
             bus info: pci@0000:00:04.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci pm pciexpress msi ht bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport-driver
             resources: irq:24 memory:d0000000-d00fffff
        *-storage
             description: SATA controller
             product: SB600 Non-Raid-5 SATA
             vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
             physical id: 12
             bus info: pci@0000:00:12.0
             logical name: scsi0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 66MHz
             capabilities: storage pm bus_master cap_list emulated
             configuration: driver=ahci latency=64
             resources: irq:16 ioport:9000(size=8) ioport:9008(size=4) ioport:9010(size=8) ioport:5018(size=4) ioport:5020(size=16) memory:d0409000-d04093ff
           *-disk
                description: ATA Disk
                product: Hitachi HTS54161
                vendor: Hitachi
                physical id: 0.0.0
                bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
                logical name: /dev/sda
                version: SBDO
                serial: SB2E82H7J1Y5WH
                size: 111GiB (120GB)
                capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
                configuration: ansiversion=5 signature=000a7f38
================================================

lspci output:
================================================
00:00.0 Host bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RS690 Host Bridge
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 30c2
        Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
        Status: Cap- 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort+ >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
        Latency: 64

00:04.0 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc Device 7914
        Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+
        Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
        Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=10, subordinate=10, sec-latency=0
        I/O behind bridge: 0000f000-00000fff
        Memory behind bridge: d0000000-d00fffff
        Prefetchable memory behind bridge: 00000000fff00000-00000000000fffff
        Secondary status: 66MHz- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- <SERR- <PERR-
        BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- NoISA+ VGA- MAbort- >Reset- FastB2B-
                PriDiscTmr- SecDiscTmr- DiscTmrStat- DiscTmrSERREn-
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
                Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)
                Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
        Capabilities: [58] Express (v1) Root Port (Slot+), MSI 00
        DevCap:>MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <64ns, L1 <1us
                        ExtTag+ RBE+ FLReset-
                DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
                        RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+
                        MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes
                DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq- AuxPwr- TransPend-
                LnkCap: Port #1, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <64ns, L1 <1us
                        ClockPM- Suprise- LLActRep+ BwNot-
                LnkCtl: ASPM L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk-
                        ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
                LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive+ BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
                SltCap: AttnBtn- PwrCtrl- MRL- AttnInd- PwrInd- HotPlug- Surpise-
                        Slot # 0, PowerLimit 0.000000; Interlock- NoCompl-
                SltCtl: Enable: AttnBtn- PwrFlt- MRL- PresDet- CmdCplt- HPIrq- LinkChg-
                        Control: AttnInd Off, PwrInd Off, Power- Interlock-
                SltSta: Status: AttnBtn- PowerFlt- MRL- CmdCplt- PresDet+ Interlock-
                        Changed: MRL- PresDet+ LinkState-
                RootCtl: ErrCorrectable- ErrNon-Fatal- ErrFatal- PMEIntEna- CRSVisible-
                RootCap: CRSVisible-
                RootSta: PME ReqID 0000, PMEStatus- PMEPending-
        Capabilities: [80] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable+
                Address: fee0300c Data: 4151
        Capabilities: [b0] Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 30c2
        Capabilities: [b8] HyperTransport: MSI Mapping Enable+ Fixed+
        Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel <?>
        Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
        Kernel modules: shpchp

0:12.0 SATA controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 Non-Raid-5 SATA (prog-if 01)
        Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 Non-Raid-5 SATA
        Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
        Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
        Latency: 64, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
        Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 16
        Region 0: I/O ports at 9000 [size=8]
        Region 1: I/O ports at 9008 [size=4]
        Region 2: I/O ports at 9010 [size=8]
        Region 3: I/O ports at 5018 [size=4]
        Region 4: I/O ports at 5020 [size=16]
        Region 5: Memory at d0409000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1K]
        Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 2
                Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
                Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
        Kernel driver in use: ahci
================================================

when running latest installer with 2.6.31 kernel and noacpi/noapic options, it also can't find my disc drive.

older versions of kernel (up to 2.6.30-x) work just fine.