TFS Error TF237159: The Query contains columns that are not valid

Question

I'm tearing my hair out with this. I've got a fairly new installation of TFS 2010 with SP1 running on a Virtual Machine which is running Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.

I'm trying to create a work item and it fails every time with the following:

TF237159: The query contains columns that are not valid

I've tried all types of work items. I tried creating a new Team Project and it fails there too.

The only other reference I can find of the problem is here

http://healmyscm.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/tf237159-the-query-contains-columns-that-are-not-valid/

I already have SP1 installed so I know it's not that bug. I haven't added or removed any fields or customized anything at all. I basically have a default install using the default process MSF Agile template with one team project and some source code. It's not even hooked to sharepoint or SSRS. I've looked in the TFS logs and there's nothing. I've looked in the event viewer and there's nothing.

Can anyone point me in the right direction

**UPDATE: I created a new team collection. That worked. However, I need to get the original team collection working since that's where all of my source control is.

**UPDATE2: I created a new team project in the original team collection, but this time I used CMMI. After that...everything just works. Very strange issue.

Answer 1

This issue was caused by a bug introduced in TFS 2010 server, but later fixed in SP1. Installing SP1 after hitting the issue doesn't help. One workaround is to add a new field to the server by including it in an existing work item type definition and re-import.

As you mentioned, the issue disappeared after you create CMMI project. That was because CMMI project creates new fields that you original project doesn't have. And you would not hit same issue again since SP1 is installed.

Answer 2

In earlier version (TFS2013) I've found de same problem. I tested two solutions:

Option 1:

• Save workitem definition to xml file.
• Rename workitem type with column problem.
• Import againg workitem type.

Option 2:

• Save workitem definition to xml file.
• Delete workitem type with witadmin destroywitd. You lose workitems.
• Import workitem type again.