[ubuntu-nz] GNOME issue

[t94xr]

Hey, unfortunately I had to install Ubuntu 10.10 alternate onto my 
laptop drive using usb inside vmware - for some reason the laptop 
doesn't want to boot Ubuntu discs anymore.

Its a toshiba m40, when I log into it, it ran GNOME fine, when i 
rebooted and even reinstalled it doesnt run GNOME anymore.
Yet when I login using desktop session (safe mode), it runs fine - 
except without network.

Is there something I'm doing wrong here? Something I'm missing.