That's right! Now you can get your hands on the first Release Candidate for Windows XP Service Pack 3! And all it will take is the implementation of a simple registry hack designed to allow Windows XP users to access, download and install Service Pack 3 Release Candidate straight from Microsoft. You are not one of the 15,000 testers that have been so far permitted access to the RC build? No problem. And on top of that, there is no need to wait for a public version of one of the upcoming development milestones of XP SP3. If you really can't wait to get your hands on XP SP3 RC, then all you have to do is play around with the registry a tad.

The fact of the matter is that a registry hack to access a testing build of Windows Vista SP1 debuted in mid October. Modifying the registry allowed Windows Vista users to grab the Beta of Service Pack 1 straight from the Microsoft Windows Updates servers. The same is now the case for Windows XP. In order to understand what the hack is, you have to know that as of now, Windows XP SP3 RC is available exclusively to over 15,000 testers via Microsoft Connect. The Redmond company is delivering all members of the beta testing program of XP SP3 with a script set up to introduce a registry key, that subsequently permits access to the Release Candidate of XP SP3, according to Daniel Melanchthon, Technology Advisor for Microsoft Germany.

Well, the hack is nothing more, and nothing less than this script coming from Microsoft. Of course all participants in the beta testing process of Windows XP SP3 are under a strict non-disclosure agreement with Microsoft. But there are leaks, of course. You will be able to find the hack in question on WinFuture. Don't worry if you cannot speak German, it's not relevant in the least. Just copy the code that starts with "@echo off" into a text editor, Notepad will do fine. It doesn't matter the name under which you save it, but what does matter is the extension. Save As "WinXPSP3RC.cmd" for example, but pay attention to the .CMD, and in notepad select the All Files option and not .TXT. Apply the hack; it may require a restart, and then just check for Updates. You will be able to find Windows XP Build 2600.xpsp.071030-1537: Service Pack 3, v.3244 weighing in at some 337 MB - namely the Release Candidate for XP SP3.