5 years ago: EU to investigate Windows 2000

09.02 2000: Microsoft shares have been hit hard following news that the European Union is to launch an investigation into "certain aspects" of Windows 2000.

The new operating system, due for launch 17 February, is designed to replace Windows NT on corporate networks.

Mario Monti, EU competition commissioner, said in a statement: "I have given the green light to an investigation into certain aspects of Microsoft's new operating system marketed under the name Windows 2000. We were contacted by end users and SMEs in the IT sector as well as by competitor companies."

A spokeswoman for the commission said it was concerned Microsoft could gain unfair leverage into the server operating system area and ultimately European ecommerce.

09.02.2005: There's still no love lost between Bill Gates and the EU's competition watchdog.

The most serious and far-reaching EU investigation, which saw Microsoft hauled over the coals regarding the bundling of Windows Media Player, is still trundling on, despite Redmond's best efforts to the contrary.

The EU recently decided, after a long-running legal case and appeal by Microsoft, that the software behemoth's antitrust penalties stood. That's a €497m penalty for Microsoft and an unbundled version of Windows.

Despite the recurrent probes by the EU, Microsoft doesn't appear to be in any mood to bow out gracefully. Rumour has it that the Media Player-less version of Windows was to be named "Reduced media edition". Miaow. Rumour also has it that the EU didn't take to kindly to that and the renamed version is in the process of being renamed.