Bangalore: EU antitrust regulators on Wednesday warned software giant Microsoft of hefty fine if the company repeats its mistake of denying choice of web browsers for its new OS in the wake of Windows 8 release.

Microsoft promised three years ago to offer browser choices on its previous version of windows, to settle an EU antitrust investigation to avoid a penalty that could have been as much as 10 percent of its global turnover. But European Commission said the company hadn’t fulfilled its pledge from February last year to July this year confirming earlier reports from Reuters. This dispute had cost the company more than one billion Euros on its windows 7 OS.  

EU competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia on Wednesday expressed his concerns to Microsoft about Windows 8, “I have precisely transmitted ... my concerns, what kind of presentation should be avoided if they don't want to take the risk of a new investigation," as told to a news briefing.

"If companies enter into commitments, they must do what they are committed to do or face the consequences. Companies should be deterred from any temptation to renege on promises or even to neglect their duty," Almunia told reporters.

The company said it had taken heed of the warning, and it is working towards coming clean off European Commission, ending a decade long battle which cost the company 1.6 billion Euros for infringing EU rules.

"After discussions with the Commission, we are changing some aspects of the way the browser choice screen works on Windows 8 and will have those changes implemented when Windows 8 launches later this week," Microsoft spokesman Robin Koch said Reuters in a statement.

"Although this was the result of a technical error, we take responsibility for what happened, and we are strengthening our internal procedures to help ensure something like this cannot happen again," he added.