When I go to the "other OS" option, it says I first have to go to the "format" option to create another OS partition. Will this wipe all the data on the entire drive including the PS3 partition, or will it just create an additional partition and leave the PS3 stuff in tact?

When I go to the format portion, Im afraid to go further into the menus, because I dont want to lose my game saves.

it will format the drive during repartiioning. you get 3 options

1) Use all for PS3
2) Use 10 Gig for PS3 the rest for Other Os
3) Use 10 Gig for Other OS the rest for PS3

If you think you're going to play with linux at some point, see if you can move your save games to memory card, then re-partion now, sooner than later, before you get too many more game saves.

Wouldn't it be possible to just connect the drive to your PC and format it with Partition Magic or something without erasing any data?

can you please try and verify?

I'll try when I get the chance -- by my guess is that the PS3 has to do the partitioning for things to work. I hope that's not the case. I think I'll call tech support or something first, because I'd much rather have a 30/30 or 20/40 split rather than a 10/50 split.

Windows wants to convert the disk before it reads it. This means that in order for windows to read the disk you will need to lose all the data on it. That kind of nullifies the point in trying to backup what is on there.

All I want to do is have more options for formatting - but it doesn't look like that'll be possible unless sony changes things. pfft.

go ahead and format. you don't lose a thing. No i'm not lying. At least I didn't lose any profiles, or settings I had before. I didn't have any game saves so not sure if they would go but it doesn't look that way.

It deleted my gamesave. I backed it up with a USB flash drive before, luckily.