White screens graually take over the desktop

After upgrading from Ubuntu 11.04 to 11.10 on first boot the touch pad didn't work (usb mouse to the rescue - next reboot touch pad worked) and any applications launched came with a title bar only, and white contents. Some further reboots down the line indicate that you can get one or two smaller applications to launch eg the terminal or the first page of the ubuntu-bug tool (cmd line version to the rescue). If you let the computer go idle (full screen black/off) when you wake it up again the screen is all white, and takes a reboot to get it back to its half functioning state. If you open nautilus - white contents, then terminal - white contents, however if you then close both the terminal and nautilus then open just the terminal it will display as usual. If you click around inside the white nautilus the title bar will change contents so the app is quite happily running, just not showing on the screen.

Xorg - 1:7.6+7ubuntu7

Googling around this problem indicates some other have had it but have been able to increase the video memory available in the BIOS, however I have no such settings.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86 Kernel Module 280.13 Wed Jul 27 16:55:43 PDT 2011
 GCC version: gcc version 4.6.1 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.1-9ubuntu3)
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,move,mousepoll,snap,vpswitch,gnomecompat,place,grid,wall,regex,resize,imgpng,unitymtgrabhandles,animation,session,fade,scale,workarounds,expo,ezoom,unityshell]
Date: Fri Oct 28 21:44:25 2011
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-10-25 21:31:04.523797
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 nvidia-173, 173.14.30, 2.6.38-11-generic, i686: installed
 nvidia-173, 173.14.30, 3.0.0-12-generic, i686: installed
 nvidia-current, 280.13, 2.6.38-11-generic, i686: installed
 nvidia-current, 280.13, 3.0.0-12-generic, i686: installed
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, whatever it takes to get this fixed in Ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 nVidia Corporation NV44 [GeForce Go 6400] [10de:0168] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device [104d:81ea]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
Lsusb:
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
MachineType: Sony Corporation VGN-FS315S
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic root=UUID=a47d3ba8-fe08-48c0-a9be-fdd15b73a030 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-25 (2 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 06/02/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
dmi.bios.version: R0084J1
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Reserved
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Reserved
dmi.chassis.version: Reserved
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLTD:bvrR0084J1:bd06/02/2006:svnSonyCorporation:pnVGN-FS315S:pvrC300M26D:cvnReserved:ct10:cvrReserved:
dmi.product.name: VGN-FS315S
dmi.product.version: C300M26D
dmi.sys.vendor: Sony Corporation
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu5
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.26-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.0-1ubuntu13
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20110811.g93fc084-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+8378443-1