I've had a 160 GB PS3 for almost 3 years now, and would like to back up my data in case something happens to the console, particularly if I get a YLOD(which would totally suck, as I really love my PsTriple).
I have definitely considered creating a FAT32 partition on my 500GB external hard drive just for that purpose, but would that work okay.....or would I have to format the entire drive(which I can't afford to do at the moment)?
Also, if I end up losing the games & other content that I bought and downloaded, would I have to pay for them all over again, or is it something I needn't be worried about?(I can handle just re-downloading; I got a decent cable speed, so that'll be fine)
And finally, I've heard a lotta great things about PSN Plus, including the ability to save game data, as well as trophies and saves. But will it be able to transfer the backup data to a new PS3 incase the old one dies and the original stuff can no longer be recovered by ordinary means?