oh yeah? Well if you just want to switch to a bigger hard drive, the backup method will work AND you will keep all of your copy protected saves as long as you keep the same ps3

the thing is though, sony made it so that if you put your hard drive in any other ps3 it will have to be formatted and all data on it will be erased before it can be used. However, there are two workarounds:

1) transfer the data from your ps3 to the new one via ethernet cable (you would keep all your game saves & files) or
2) backup all your data onto an external hdd and then restore the data on the new ps3 (you will keep all data except copy-protected save files)

I did option #2 cuz I wasn't sure my ps3 would last through the transfer process

yeah mine still had all the manals wrapped in plastic, it was prolly a Christmas return

$269.99 used at gamestop

Lol who knows. If they were out of 40gb versions you might get lucky!

only 40

so i got it working just long enough to back up my hdd. I bought a 160gb slim today. Im gonna part out my old one

well I did a lot of research and I've discovered I have the "Yellow-light-of-death." I'd just buy a new ps3, but then I'd lose all my data. I've fought too hard for my COD stats! LOL. Plus I'm praying I can fix this myself. Usually the fix is to open it up and reflow the cpu and gpu by heating them up. I'm probably gonna buy a heat gun and thermal compound tomorrow.

That is sick man! I wish I could play it. My ps3 died on me on Sunday. I'm trying to open it up to see whats wrong but I stripped the star tip screw on accident I might just break the top cover off

Haha. Life is fine I guess. I'm freezing my butt off waiting for spring. Only three more months.