I'm about to install CS3 Suite .... CF4 has been meeting all my needs fine up until now and I'd be happy not to have to upgrade. But reading the recent threads made this whole AE file-swopping thing with the previous versions of CF5 sound like a considerable headache.

It isn't CF5 issue, is was a CS3 issue that we have now updated enough components to support. You will need to upgrade.

OK. Thanks.