I have to boot into recovery, low resolution graphic mode

I'm not sure what is the problem you are experiencing. Can you be a bit more specific?

Hi Federico,
thanks for your help.

if I boot into ubuntu 2.6.3-22-generic
I see a splash screen with a progress bar for a few seconds & then black screen
reboot into recovery

grey screen red header

recovery menu
select repair package -dpkg [circle no repair happens]
I can go to a prompt & get the info I gave above, about execute disable bit
normally I choose
failsafex-run in low graphics mode
which takes me to
Ubuntu is running in low graphics mode
click ok
a screen that has graphic repair choices
again I normally choose
Run in low graphics mode for one session only

Which then takes me to my desk top
I'm set up to dual boot
10.04 & mint9
I generally use mint [the sound works]
I just booted into 10.04 & ran all the updates [yes mint is current] just to make sure
also had a look at bios [american megatrends v02.57], I had gone to their site & on a full version, I could enable the execute enable bit. but not on the gateway version, no such choice & as I said only supported on gateways site in windows....

I would like to be able to boot normally & possibly have Google earth work a bit faster

So you have problema with video drivers.
Run this:

lshw -C video

in the terminal to find out what video chip you have.

garthh@garthh-desktop ~ $ lshw -C video
WARNING: you should run this program as super-user.
  *-display:0 UNCLAIMED
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 02
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: bus_master cap_list
       configuration: latency=0
       resources: memory:d8000000-dfffffff(prefetchable) memory:e0380000-e03fffff ioport:eff0(size=8)
  *-display:1 UNCLAIMED
       description: Display controller
       product: 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2.1
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.1
       version: 02
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: bus_master cap_list
       configuration: latency=0
       resources: memory:d0000000-d7ffffff(prefetchable) memory:e0300000-e037fff

There are bugs with that Intel video chip.
Here you have several potential solutions.
I have the same problem in a computer at work.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Bugs/Lucidi8xxFreezes

It's making my head spin a bit
so I'll think out loud & get a little more advice
I don't think any of the options involving #A. will be possible, I can't run a live CD [no CD/DVD player], bios doesn't support booting from USB. I used a HDD adapter on my old PC to install the Operating Systems. I never was able to make unetbootin work.

#B I don't understand & reduced functionality kind of defeats the purpose...

#C Looks promising, I'll have to poke around a bit

#D Will complicate my life in the future, I do understand how to get to Grub now

#E Slower Graphics, which is my only symptom now

#F not sure think it's dependent on being able to boot from some where other than HDD again & would need the numbers on the non/fetchable

#G no performance gain