* ssh in from remote
* delete existing /etc/X11/xorg.conf (this step may not have been needed)
* download from nvidia.com the NVIDIA-Linux-*.run for your hardware and copy it to your PC (I did it with a second PC and transfered via scp)
* run the NVIDIA-Linux-*.run
* Follow the instructions
* reboot
this is what got my system working again:
* ssh in from remote
* delete existing /etc/X11/xorg.conf (this step may not have been needed)
* download from nvidia.com the NVIDIA-Linux-*.run for your hardware and copy it to your PC (I did it with a second PC and transfered via scp)
* run the NVIDIA-Linux-*.run
* Follow the instructions
* reboot
adapted from http:// ubuntuforums. org/showpost. php?p=8194624& postcount= 8