While Microsoft is yet to satisfy the end user's hunger for Windows XP Service Pack 3, with the general availability date set for April 29, 2008, the service pack is nothing short of a hit on torrent websites and warez hotspots. As soon as XP SP3 hit RTM on April 21, and the Redmond company started shipping the first gold builds to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and close partners, the final version was leaked and made available for download from various third parties. But even with the close proximity of XP SP3's final release date at the end of this month, Microsoft has not been able to impact and curve the wave of downloads containing the final milestone of the last service pack for XP.

In the case of Windows Vista, a month and a half separated the RTM of Service Pack 1 (dropped on February 4) and its release via Windows Update and the Download Center on March 18. This not the case with Windows XP SP3. In fact, the service pack will start being distributed through WU and the Download Center on April 29, just one week after its RTM. According to Microsoft's initial plans, SP3 should have been served to general users even before the beta testers, MSDN and TechNet subscribers got their hands on the gold build. This is no longer the case.

"We are happy to announce that Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) is now available for download for subscribers on MSDN and TechNet. You will find the Service Pack download listed under New Subscriber Downloads in MSDN and New Content in Subscriber Downloads in TechNet Plus. Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) will be available to non-subscribers on 4/29 via Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center," stated Nick MacKechnie, Senior Technical Account Manager at Microsoft New Zealand.

The version leaked is WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe and obviously the English variant of Windows XP SP3. Version 5.1.2600 Build 5512 of XP SP3 RTM weights in at 316 MB, and features the following characteristics CRC32: C411A9DA, MD5: BB25707C919DD835A9D9706B5725AF58, and SHA-1: C81472F7EEEA2ECA421E116CD4C03E2300EBFDE4. However, as of April 22, Microsoft is serving Windows XP SP3 RTM Build 5512 on both MSDN and TechNet in all of XP's supported languages, including not only English, but also Arabic, Traditional Chinese Hong Kong, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Czech, Danish, Norwegian, Finish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) Final Build 5512 is available for download here.