Error message when you save a work item in Visual Studio Team Foundation Server: “The server operation failed (BackendArgumentException)”

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SYMPTOMS

When you save a work item in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server, you receive the following error message:

The server operation failed (BackendArgumentException)

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CAUSE

This problem occurs because a combination of the Deny Read permission and of the Allow Write permission is not supported in work item tracking. If you have this permission combination, you receive an error message when you save a work item.

Note Even though you receive an error message, the work item that you are trying to save is still saved to the team project.

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, set the Read permission to Allow for the affected user. To do this, follow these steps:

In Team Explorer, right-click the project for which you want to modify the permissions. Click Team Project Settings, and then click Areas and Iterations.
Select the area or the iteration that you want to modify, and then click Security.
Select the user, click to select the Allow check box for the View work items in this node option, and then click Close.

Note You must log on as a user who has administrative credentials for the team project that you want to change before you follow these steps.

For more information, see the "Team Foundation Server Permissions" topic in the Visual Studio Team Foundation Server Administrator’s Guide.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

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Download the TFSAdmin-v60317.chm package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?amp;displaylang=en&familyid=2AED0ECC-1552-49F1-ABE7-4905155E210A&displaylang=en)

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STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

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MORE INFORMATION

Steps to reproduce this problem

In Team Explorer, click New on the File menu, and then click Team Project.
Type TestProject, and then click Next.
Click Next in the next three dialog boxes, and then click Finish.
After the project is created, click Close.
In Team Explorer, right-click TestProject, click Team Project Settings, and then click Areas and Iterations.
On the Area tab, click the Add a child node button, type Area1, and then press ENTER.
Click Security, click Windows User or Group, and then click Add.
Enter a valid user name, and then click OK.
In the Permissions list, click to select the Allow check box for the Edit work items in this node option. Click to select the Deny check box for the View work items in this node option, and then click Close.
Start Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 by using the user name that you entered in step 8.
In Team Explorer, right-click Work Items under TestProject, click Add Work Item, and then click Task.
In the Title box, type MyTask. In the Area path list, select Area1, and then press CTRL+S.

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For more information about permissions, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms252587.aspx (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms252587.aspx)

For more information about tracking work items, visit the following MSDN Web site:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms181269.aspx (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms181269.aspx)

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APPLIES TO

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation

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kberrmsg kbbug kbtshoot kbprb KB921313

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