> Interesting.  In my Lenovo R61 with Squeeze and xfs file system, my
> laptop-mode.conf file does not have CONTROL_INTEL_SATA_MODE.  The only
> option with "SATA" in it is "ASSUME_SCSI_IS_SATA=1".  The explanation
> for this option is:
>
> # If this is enabled, laptop mode tools will assume that SCSI drives are
> # really SATA drives that only _look_ like SCSI drives, and will use
> # hdparm to control them. Set this to 0 if you have /dev/sd devices
> # and you want laptop mode tools to use the "sdparm" command to
> control # them.

If I recall correctly, the SATA problems started after a kernel upgrade to 
3.* - and changing from squeeze to wheezy. The ugly thing was that it looked 
like TDE was causing system hangs where in reality laptop-tools sent the 
harddrive to an agressive powersave mode from where it did not return when 
TDE tried to start a application. The problem with laptop-tools never 
vanished sice then on all X6* and T6*, it just changed quality. My latest 
running gag is not beeing able to shutdown propperly, because the SATA 
interface has gone to sleep before system halt is complete - and consequently 
the system waits for the hardrive to complete shutdown till power runs out.

Nik