9.10; X doesn't start, fresh install, blinking.

[(-NINJ4-)]

I opted to do a fresh install for 9.10, as every time I've attempted to use the various upgrade tools, something inevitably breaks and I am forced to reinstall from scratch anyway. So this is a computer that ran 9.04 without any significant issue starting up.
The Live CD started up fine, installed flawlessly, and then I encountered problems when I rebooted to run 9.10 without the live CD.

I got past GRUB fine, and saw the white ubuntu logo in the middle of the screen, and then shortly thereafter the screen dropped to a terminal login, as though it was a server edition. However, the screen was also blinking quickly, and wouldn't let me type anything reliably, approximately one out of every 3 keystrokes was recorded, but it was impossible to predict which three, making it impossible to login. I restarted the computer into recovery mode, entered the following command, thinking I was suffering from the same problem as this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1305234

sudo dpkg --configure -a

I then ran Memtest86+ and found everything there was working fine.

I then opened /var/log/Xorg.0.log and found the following:

X.Org X Server 1.6.4
Release Date: 2009-9-27
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-23-server i686 Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux NINJ4 2.6.31-14-generic #48-Ubuntu SMP Fri Oct 16 14:04:26 UTC 2009 i686
Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=a8e22f02-ef71-41ba-a627-ecdfe86362ac ro quiet splash
Build Date: 26 October 2009  05:15:02PM
xorg-server 2:1.6.4-2ubuntu4 (buildd@) 
	Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
	to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
	(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sat Oct 31 15:40:34 2009
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(==) No Layout section.  Using the first Screen section.
(**) |-->Screen "Default Screen" (0)
(**) |   |-->Monitor "<default monitor>"
(==) No device specified for screen "Default Screen".
	Using the first device section listed.
(**) |   |-->Device "Default Device"
(==) No monitor specified for screen "Default Screen".
	Using a default monitor configuration.
(==) Automatically adding devices
(==) Automatically enabling devices
(WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic" does not exist.
	Entry deleted from font path.
(==) FontPath set to:
	/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc,
	/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled,
	/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled,
	/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1,
	/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi,
	/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi,
	/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType,
	built-ins
(==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
(II) Cannot locate a core pointer device.
(II) Cannot locate a core keyboard device.
(II) The server relies on HAL to provide the list of input devices.
	If no devices become available, reconfigure HAL or disable AllowEmptyInput.
(II) Loader magic: 0x3bc0
(II) Module ABI versions:
	X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
	X.Org Video Driver: 5.0
	X.Org XInput driver : 4.0
	X.Org Server Extension : 2.0
(II) Loader running on linux
(--) using VT number 7

(--) PCI:*(0:1:0:0) 10de:0423:10de:0494 nVidia Corporation G86 [GeForce 8300 GS] rev 161, Mem @ 0xfa000000/16777216, 0xd0000000/268435456, 0xf8000000/33554432, I/O @ 0x0000cf00/128, BIOS @ 0x????????/131072
(II) Open ACPI successful (/var/run/acpid.socket)
(II) System resource ranges:
	[0] -1	0	0xffffffff - 0xffffffff (0x1) MX[B]
	[1] -1	0	0x000f0000 - 0x000fffff (0x10000) MX[B]
	[2] -1	0	0x000c0000 - 0x000effff (0x30000) MX[B]
	[3] -1	0	0x00000000 - 0x0009ffff (0xa0000) MX[B]
	[4] -1	0	0x0000ffff - 0x0000ffff (0x1) IX[B]
	[5] -1	0	0x00000000 - 0x00000000 (0x1) IX[B]
(II) "extmod" will be loaded by default.
(II) "dbe" will be loaded by default.
(II) "glx" will be loaded. This was enabled by default and also specified in the config file.
(II) "record" will be loaded by default.
(II) "dri" will be loaded by default.
(II) "dri2" will be loaded by default.
(II) LoadModule: "glx"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions//libglx.so
(II) Module glx: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
	compiled for 1.6.4, module version = 1.0.0
	ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 2.0
(==) AIGLX enabled
(II) Loading extension GLX
(II) LoadModule: "extmod"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions//libextmod.so
(II) Module extmod: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
	compiled for 1.6.4, module version = 1.0.0
	Module class: X.Org Server Extension
	ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 2.0
(II) Loading extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
(II) Loading extension XFree86-VidModeExtension
(II) Loading extension XFree86-DGA
(II) Loading extension DPMS
(II) Loading extension XVideo
(II) Loading extension XVideo-MotionCompensation
(II) Loading extension X-Resource
(II) LoadModule: "dbe"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions//libdbe.so
(II) Module dbe: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
	compiled for 1.6.4, module version = 1.0.0
	Module class: X.Org Server Extension
	ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 2.0
(II) Loading extension DOUBLE-BUFFER
(II) LoadModule: "record"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions//librecord.so
(II) Module record: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
	compiled for 1.6.4, module version = 1.13.0
	Module class: X.Org Server Extension
	ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 2.0
(II) Loading extension RECORD
(II) LoadModule: "dri"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions//libdri.so
(II) Module dri: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
	compiled for 1.6.4, module version = 1.0.0
	ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 2.0
(II) Loading extension XFree86-DRI
(II) LoadModule: "dri2"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions//libdri2.so
(II) Module dri2: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
	compiled for 1.6.4, module version = 1.1.0
	ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 2.0
(II) Loading extension DRI2
(II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
(WW) Warning, couldn't open module nvidia
(II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
(EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (module does not exist, 0)
(EE) No drivers available.

Fatal server error:
no screens found

Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support 
	 at http://wiki.x.org
 for help. 
Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.

 ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log

specifically, I suspect that part at the end might be of importance:

(II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
(WW) Warning, couldn't open module nvidia
(II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
(EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (module does not exist, 0)
(EE) No drivers available.

Can anyone hint me to what I might be able to do to get X to start?

Thanks much!

[Turtle.net]

Try this

[(-NINJ4-)]

Thanks for the idea, Turtle.net, but I actually got my desktop environment back by utilizing the method detailed this thread and deleting /etc/X11/xorg.conf. This didn't allow me to use desktop effects and such, however, so I simply did another install of them using the hardware drivers installer, and that miraculously worked.
Again, thanks a lot for the prompt help.