The now discontinued Windows XP is staging a comeback to haunt its maker. Microsoft managed to generate an antitrust probe against itself when it went ahead with plans to discontinue the availability of Windows XP through retail and OEM channels. The Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service has announced that it has started investigating the Redmond company over the XP availability halt in 2008. Essentially, Russian antitrust regulators are indicating that the software giant is breaking local antimonopoly laws by killing XP sales.

Microsoft has allegedly failed to comply with Russian antimonopoly legislation when it cut the supply of XP licenses to the market. The antitrust regulators claim that the software giant had no technological or economical reasons to stop offering XP both at the retail and OEM channels, namely as boxed copies and pre-installed on new computers from original equipment manufacturers. Microsoft is also facing inquiries related to the pricing policy associated with the precursor of Windows Vista.

Russian antitrust authorities have pointed the finger at Microsoft for forcing consumers to buy Windows Vista instead of XP. The local antimonopoly regulators have evaluated the market and revealed that the Redmond company discontinued XP availability even though demand continued to exist. The case is scheduled for review on July 24, 2009.

Microsoft issued no official comment on the allegations; however, the company did state that it had not been informed of any initiatives from the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service related to any antitrust inquiries on the local market. The software giant has traditionally adopted a stance of cooperation when it comes down to the relationships with governments or with regional antitrust authorities.

Windows XP retail and OEM licenses have stopped being available on June 30, 2009. The only exception is made for the XP Home Edition, which continues to be offered to OEMs for Ultra Low-Cost PCs. XP System Builder availability has also been cut on January 31, 2009.