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  With [EasyBCD|http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1], it is possible to have Windows Vista boot into legacy (DOS-based) versions of Windows - though at the moment it's a slightly convoluted process due to limitations of the Windows Vista bootloader. Hopefully future versions of EasyBCD will provide workarounds that make it a much more enjoyable and easy-to-accomplish task!
  h1. Dual-Booting Windows Vista and DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows ME
  
 Microsoft is one of the few companies that attempt to preserve backwards ABI and API compatibility across each version of Windows. For the most part, the majority of the applications out there today that ran under DOS-based operating systems like Windows 9x and Windows ME will run as-is in Compatibility Mode under Windows Vista. However, there are some applications that require an actual DOS-based operating system to run, and as such, you might come across the need to dual-boot Windows Vista and a legacy DOS-based OS.
  
 The instructions on this page will guide you through the procedure of installing DOS to a system with Windows Vista already installed. These instructions can be used to install any Windows OS from Windows 95 to Windows ME with some minor changes along the way.
  
 h2. Installing DOS
  
 h3. Requirements
  
 * DOS/Windows 9x/ME needs to be installed to a *primary* partition on the *first* hard drive on your PC. DOS, Windows 95a, and Windows 95b must be installed to a FAT12 or FAT16 partition. Windows 95c, Windows 98, and Windows ME may be installed to a FAT12, FAT16, or FAT32 filesystem.
 * The DOS partition must start within the first 2GB and 1024 cylinders of the hard drive. The safest, most-assured way of doing this is to place the DOS partition before any other partitions on the hard drive, the Windows Vista partition included.
 * DOS needs to be installed to a standard IDE hard drive attached to a basic ATA controller. SATA drives, RAID configurations, AHCI, and many PCI-to-IDE adapters _will not work_.
  
 h3. Installing DOS
  
 # Partition your hard drive, creating a new FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 _primary_ partition _at the start of the drive_. See NeoSmart Technologies' [guide on disk partitioning|G:Disk Partitioning] for step-by-step instructions and further info.
 # Insert the DOS/Windows Diskette number 1 or CD into your floppy or optical drive, and proceed to boot from it by either hitting F12 at the BIOS POST screen or configuring your machine to boot first from the floppy/optical drive then the hard disk.
 #