🚀 go-pugleaf

The problem you are having with your drive is not uncommon.
I am assuming you have the Chinon drive in your STFM (it has the eject
button underneath the disk slot).

First off, Chinon drives are the pits.  Recent ST's have had HUGE
problems with these drives.  Atari wisely stopped using them and went to
Sony drives.

The actual problem is that the disk-eject device the drive has, which
tells the computer that a new disk has been inserted), has failed.  It
is a very common problem.  It can be fixed, but the easiest way to fix
this is to replace the drive with a GOOD mech.  The drive will probably
fail on you soon.  If your computer is still under warrantee, get a new
drive.  If it is the same model number (Chinon AA or something like
that) as the one you have now, then you will be doing alot of replacing.
The drives are just no damn good.

If you want to get adventursome, put in your own mech.  I suggest the
following:

Toshiba ND-354
Epson SMD-180 (discontinued model)
Epson SMD-280/480 (I believe the 480 is made by Sony, and is what Atari
  now uses)
Teac FD-135-01-U (something like that, this is what I use)

You will have to do some hacking of the case (the face plates are
different), but you will have a MUCH better drive.

=cf=