Windows 2000 not containing a "DOS Box" and lacking many features needed for emulators to run the popular choice for many retrogames is to have two operating systems on the same machine. Either DOS or Win98 and Win2000. This is actually quite a simple  thing to setup and the benefits are clear: Have a clean system to run your emulaltors on which supports all the features needed for your emulators to run correclty.

There are a few things to watch, but when these are repected the procedure is for everyone to complete successfully:

1) Windows 2000 needs it's own partition and a lot of space, around 1 gig, so make sure to have a pertition for DOS/Win98 and a minimum of 1 gig, best 1.5, for your Win2000

2) Start with a clean drive or with DOS/Win98 installed. Do not install Win2000 in first place as installing Win 98 or DOS afterwards to set up a dual boot system will overwrite crucial system files which will ost likely make you lose your system. It has to be installed last.

3) Make sure your file system is FAT! If you want to exchange files between your two systems they have to rely on the same file system. Windows 2000 gives you the option to install NTFS. You can do this if you will only use your DOS/Win98 for emulation. Should you want to share any files or move them from one partition to the other you'll have to stick to the FAT system. When you format your harddrive or use the Fdisk utility that comes with Microsoft operating systems you will be able to choose which file system you'd like to install on the drive. FAT is default so you can't go wrong.

The procedure:

1) From scratch: (you should only do this with a little experience, I do not recommend this if you've never done this on your own before. Therefore I will not go into the niggly little details and commands, I will assume you know how to format a drive etc!):

• Format your hard drive with at least two partitions including one primary partition. Keep the file sysytem FAT if you want to use both partitions in DOS and Win2000, FAT32 if you want to use both in Win98 and Win2000.
• Install DOS/Win98 on the primary partition as usual.
• Boot into DOS or with a boot disk. (alternatively boot from the Win2000 disk) Insert Win2000 cd and install. When asked where to install choose the secondary partition. When asked which type of installation choose (upgrade or clean install) do NOT choose the upgrade option. Choose a new, fresh, clean install on the extended partition.
• After the installation is complete upon reboot you kwill be presented with a boot option screen which will allow you to choose which operating sysytem you would like to start from.

2) Adding Win2000 to an existing system:

• Boot into DOS or with a boot disk. (alternatively boot from the Win2000 disk) Insert Win2000 cd and install. When asked where to install choose the secondary partition. When asked which type of installation choose (upgrade or clean install) do NOT choose the upgrade option. Choose a new, fresh, clean install on the extended partition.
• After the installation is complete upon reboot you kwill be presented with a boot option screen which will allow you to choose which operating sysytem you would like to start from.

Windows 2000 supports dual booting with the following Operating systems:

• Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 4.0
• Windows 95, Windows 98
• Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11
• MS-DOS
• OS/2
• and if you're a tinkerer most of the Unix/Linux systems, too :)

Windows 95 or Windows 98 might reconfigure hardware settings the first time you use them, which can cause problems if you're dual booting with Windows 2000.

If you want your programs to run on both operating systems on a operating system. You can't share programs across operating systems.

Win2k's Disk Administration, it may ask you to write a signature and/or convert to a "dynamic" disk.  Writing a signature is fine.  Do NOT convert to dynamic.  NO other operating system can see a dynamic disk, including DOS.

That's all folks. Actually quite an easy procedure once you obey 2 or 3 key points explained above. Have fun :)

I'd like to thank Mrmikemc, Leo Thul and Jonathan Kalmes for helping me out with some tips here and answering some of the questions I had. Your help is very much appreciated :)