Introduction
This page shows how to create a natural dual-boot of Windows 7 and MS-DOS 7.10 on a computer with Windows 7 already installed on NTFS. You can then run either of those OSs by selecting one from a menu during bootup. No data loss will occur and a third-party boot utility will not be used.
In this procedure you need to shrink the Windows 7 drive to make room for MS-DOS. Using a second disk for MS-DOS is not an option.
The Release Candidate (RC) of Windows 7 Ultimate (build 7100) was used in testing. It can be expected the final release will have a bootup method identical to the RC version. How the OEM system builders like Dell, Acer, HP and others deal with this aspect is unknown at the moment. You can check back here for an update on that when the OEMs start selling Windows 7 computers.
The computer used was a 32-bit Dell Optiplex with Pentium 4 (2.26GHz), 1.25 GB RAM, 160 GB ATA hard disk.
Only experienced computer users should attempt to create this multi-boot.
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Important Installation Notes
System Reserved partition
A Windows 7 installation usually creates a small 100 - 200 MB hidden System Reserved partition on which it places the boot files, Bootmgr, and the Boot folder. If it exists, this System Reserved will be the Active partition. It will be a Primary partition so you need to identify whether or not you have this Primary because its presence will affect the number of new Primary partitions you can create on that disk. It's not allocated a drive letter in Win7 and will not normally be visible in Win7's Windows Explorer. Use Disk Management to see if you have it in Windows 7 (right-click Computer, select Manage, click Disk Management).
Shrinking the Windows 7 drive
You should avoid resizing a Windows 7 or Vista partition with a third-party partitioning utility like GParted. Windows partition editors often use different disk geometry than that used in Linux. Therefore resizing a Windows partition outside of Windows control can make Windows unbootable.
It's recommended you use Shrink in Disk Management to resize the Windows 7 or Vista partition and not a third-party utility - play safe and let Windows do it. If the free space achieved is inadequate, you can read [URL=http://www.thpc.info/how/shrink_partition_in_windows_7_vista.html]Shrink the Windows 7 or Windows Vista Partition[/URL] for instructions on completing this task successfully. The very popular and free [URL=http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php]GParted Live CD[/URL] cannot be recommended in this situation - read [URL=http://www.thpc.info/how/use_gparted_to_resize_windows_7_vista_partition.html]Use GParted to Resize the Windows 7 or Vista Partition[/URL] to learn why.
EasyBCD
The highly-acclaimed EasyBCD is a free boot menu editing utility for Win7 or Vista. It allows users to easily edit the BCD (Boot Configuration Data). The BCD is an integral part of Windows 7's and Vista's new boot manager/loader that replaces the NTLDR/Boot.ini method used in Windows XP, 2000, and NT. Manually editing the BCD is quite difficult. However EasyBCD has plenty of useful options including the addition of Windows XP, 2K, 9x, MS-DOS, Linux and others to the new boot loader with just a few clicks in a user-friendly GUI. You can also, at your leisure, use EasyBCD to alter the Default OS, the Bootloader Timeout, the Name that appears in the boot menu, and the Boot order in the boot menu.
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Summary of Procedure (Advanced users)
Backup.
Create a first FAT32 Primary partition for MS-DOS 7.10 at end of the NTFS disk (use Shrink in Disk Management).
Bootup from Win98SE boot floppy or boot CD
Type A:\SYS C:
Run A:\[URL=http://thpc.info/dload/bootsec9.zip]Bootsec9[/URL].bat to create C:\Bootsect.dos from first FAT/32 Primary i.e. MS-DOS boot sector.
Restart computer. Windows 7 will bootup because the position of the Active flag has not changed.
Copy Bootsect.dos to root of the Active partition.
Install and run [URL=http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1]EasyBCD[/URL] v 1.7.2 or later to add "Windows 95/98/ME" in "Add an Entry".
Install the remaining MS-DOS 7.10 files at your leisure using the same file versions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Procedure: Install MS-DOS 7.10 when Windows 7 is installed first
Installing other operating systems on your Windows 7 computer may invalidate your warrantee.
It's very important to follow the instructions exactly as stated and that includes all restarts!
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Requirements.
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Installation DVD for Windows 7 (just in case!).
2 downloads (see below).
Win98/Me boot floppy or boot CD.
A first hard disk that uses only NTFS and contains a working Windows 7.
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A. Make your preparations.
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Backup important data before making any changes to a partition. You can burn files to a CD, clone an image of your hard disk, copy files to a USB flash/pen/thumb drive, or use an USB external drive (a good choice)
Plan your new partitions carefully.
Download Neosmart's EasyBCD v 1.7.2 or later (free - edit Win7/Vista boot loader).
Copy EasyBCD to a new EasyBCD folder on the Win7 drive.
Download THPC's Bootsec9.zip (free - copies Win98/Me/MS-DOS boot sector to C:\Bootsect.dos).
Unzip Bootsec9.zip to the Win98SE boot disk or CD
- it contains the three files Bootsec9.bat, Bootsec9.scr and Bootsec9.txt (3 KB in total)
Optional: Download NeoSmart's free Windows 7 System Recovery Disk if your Win7 DVD is missing!
Disconnect all external devices before you start.
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B. Make free space and create new partitions.
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The single 160 GB disk usually used in testing initially had: System Reserved (100 MB, Primary, Hidden, NTFS), Windows 7 (150 GB, Primary, NTFS). The Windows 7 drive was shrunk leaving about 3 GB Unallocated space at the end of the disk (to the right). After repartitioning it had: System Reserved (100 MB, Primary, Hidden, NTFS), Win7 (145 GB, NTFS, Primary), MS-DOS (3 GB, FAT32, Primary).
The 127 GB disk limitation that afflicts Win98/Me/2K did not appear to be a problem with MS-DOS 7.10. Also, the Active marker was unaffected by installing MS-DOS 7.10 - your experience may be different, so be prepared to use Fdisk (Option 2), Win7's DiskPart, or your own method of making the NTFS partition Active again.
Restart computer correctly (close all programs before you Restart computer).
Open Disk Management in Windows 7 (right-click Computer, select Manage, click Disk Management).
Right-click the Win7 volume, and click Shrink Volume.
In Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB: enter enough for MS-DOS.
Click the Shrink button (it may take some time!).
If Shrink does not give you sufficient Unallocated space, read Shrink the Windows 7 or Windows Vista Partition for instructions on how to complete this task successfully. Then return here.
Right-click the Unallocated space and select New Simple Volume.... Click Next.
In Simple volume size in MB:, use all available space for MS-DOS. Click Next.
In File system, select FAT32 in the drop-down.
In Volume label, enter doos (or similar).
Tick to enable the Perform a quick format check box, and click Next.
Click Finish button.
Restart to Windows 7 two times.
Open Disk Management and check that the changes are correct.
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C. Install MS-DOS.
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MS-DOS 7.10 is installed and its boot sector saved in the Bootsect.dos file. Windows 7 is booted. Bootsect.dos will be copied to the drive originally marked Active. EasyBCD will then create a dual-boot by adding MS-DOS to the Win7 boot loader
In Windows 7, open Disk Management.
Note which drive is Active. If you have a System Reserved drive then that's the Active drive. Otherwise it's the Win7 partition. Let's refer to that original Active drive as 1stActDrv.
Reboot from Win98SE boot disk or CD.
Type SYS C: and press Enter
- this installs a very basic MS-DOS which will run for now but is not bootable yet.
Run A:\Bootsec9.bat
- this copies the MS-DOS boot sector (512 bytes) you just created to C:\Bootsect.dos.
Restart computer. Windows 7 will bootup normally.
Copy Bootsect.dos from root of MS-DOS partition to root of 1stActDrv.
If 1stActDrv is a System Reserved drive, you must first use Disk Management to allocate a temporary drive letter to it (right-click partition > Change Drive Letter ... > Add). That drive will then be available in Windows Explorer. You can now copy Bootsect.dos to the System Reserved drive. Finally use Disk Management to remove the temporary drive letter you allocated to System Reserved. There's no need to allocate a permanent drive letter to the System Reserved drive.
Install and run EasyBCD (click Yes for "User Account Control").
Click Add/Remove Entries.
In Windows tab under Add an Entry, select Windows 95/98/ME from the drop-down list.
Give it a name (like MS-DOS 7.10)
Press Add Entry.
* If the new entry does not show under Manage Existing Entries, click View Settings, and click Add/Remove Entries again. Now it will show.
Click Save.
Exit EasyBCD.
Restart computer. Both Windows 7 and MS-DOS will now be available in the boot loader menu.
Install the rest of the MS-DOS 7.10 files on the doos partition whenever you're ready.
Congratulations! You have created a natural dual-boot of Windows 7 and MS-DOS 7.10 when Windows 7 was installed first.
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Repair Windows 7 Startup
You will not have any problem if you follow the instructions as stated above. However you might encounter some freak occurrence like a power failure during an installation. Windows 7 will boot again if you follow the following procedure.
Bootup from any Windows 7/Vista installation DVD or even from NeoSmart's free Windows 7 System Recovery Disk.
Press a key when you see Press any key to boot from a CD or DVD.
Select your Language and then Time....
Select Repair your computer (bottom left of the Install now screen).
An automatic check of your system will run.
Click Repair and restart
Windows 7 should boot normally (very likely). If not, continue here.
Bootup from a Windows 7 installation DVD again
Select Repair your computer again.
In System Recovery Options, select Windows 7, and click Next.
Click Startup Repair.
Click Finish when it's complete, and then Restart.
Windows 7 should boot normally.
If totally stuck for a solution, boot again from the installation DVD, select Repair your computer, highlight Windows 7, get to a Command Prompt, use DIR command (DIR C: or DIR D: etc) to identify drive letter allocations (sizes and Labels will help), and type in:
x:\boot\bootsect.exe /nt60 C:
(where x: is your DVD drive letter, and C: is the installation drive for Windows 7).
Type EXIT, and click Restart.
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Install MS-DOS 7.10 (FAT32) on Windows 7 computer