MS-DOS 7 is a real mode operating system for IBM PC compatibles. Unlike earlier versions of MS-DOS it was not released separately by Microsoft, but included in the Windows 9x family of operating systems. Windows 95 RTM reports to be MS-DOS 7.0, while Windows 95 OSR 2.x and Windows 98 report as 7.1. Windows 9x runs under DOS similar to Windows 3.1x, and while according to Microsoft the role of MS-DOS was reduced to a boot loader and acted as the 16-bit legacy device driver layer, it has been stated that there is almost no difference in the relationship between Windows 9x and its included MS-DOS 7.x and Windows 3.x and MS-DOS 6.x.