If he doesn't have a startup diskette, then he must have a version of ME distributed by the computer maker which will start up with the CD, otherwise he could never install Windows ME. My version, a boxed copy from Microsoft, requires a start up diskette to install. The most likely conclusion I would come to is that 1) He's trying to use a CD that was distributed with a name brand computer on a different computer, or 2) He has a hardware problem, or 3) his distribution CD is corrupt.