Ubuntu Installation :: 9.10 Stalls During Partitioning Step

I have tried installing Ubuntu 9.10, 64 and also 32 bit versions, neither works. During the install, I get to the step where the installer wants to bring up and show the partitions but the partitions never appear. If I quit, I am show the Ubuntu live screen where if I bring up Gparted and choose to install on the unused partition (second half of a data drive), the install proceeds but stalls at about 15% partitioning of that space.

I have installed Ubuntu many times before, have used gparted live to resize and create partitions in the past, something seems really amiss this time. And all I can think of is that I now have Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit (quad core AMD processor, 64 bit, 8GB ram; two hard drives, Win7 on the first drive, second drive is data on a partition and an empty unused partition to which I unsuccessfully try to install Ubuntu 9.10.

Is it just Win 7 messing this up? If it is Win7, that is very very disturbing.

I was not even able to get Wubi to work-- in installed, but then when I rebooted and chose to boot into Wubi I got an endless jam up of errors windows on the screen saying there was no "/" root partition.