Microsoft has dropped plans to ship a version of Windows 7 without Internet Explorer, after the European Commission voiced its objections to the proposals.

Dave Heiner, vice president and deputy general counsel at Microsoft, said in a blog post that the firm will not be shipping the unique browserless version of the new operating system, dubbed Windows 7 E.

The plan was originally conceived as a way to satisfy European competition laws, but the Commission made it clear soon after they were originally announced that it was not happy.

"Consumers should be offered a choice of browser, not that Windows should be supplied without a browser at all," the Commission said.

Microsoft finally acquiesced last week, unveiling new plans to present consumers with a ballot screen offering a choice of browsers, which the Commission welcomed.

"In the wake of last week's developments, as well as continuing feedback on Windows 7 E that we have received from computer manufacturers and other business partners, I am pleased to report that we will ship the same version of Windows 7 in Europe in October that we will ship in the rest of the world," wrote Heiner.

He added that another reason for dropping Windows 7 E was concerns raised by computer manufacturers and partners.

"Several worried about the complexity of changing the version of Windows that we ship in Europe if our ballot screen proposal is ultimately accepted by the Commission and we stop selling Windows 7 E," said Heiner.

"Computer manufacturers and our partners also warned that introducing Windows 7 E, only to later replace it with a version of Windows 7 that includes IE, could confuse consumers about what version of Windows to buy with their PCs."