Default Access in TFS Requires a TFS CAL

When adding new users to TFS be careful.  Adding them to a team sets them with the Basic (default) access level.  This means you need to be proactive when adding any users to TFS. 

Make sure you move them into the appropriate AD group within your Access levels

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before you add them to a team.  Otherwise you will end up like me having to take away features from someone who was like “cool I like that feature.”  In my case they were just a stakeholder.

Ensure you do this so when true up time comes you are not paying for CALs when you didn’t really need them.

Modifying Code Reviews in TFS 2013

Recently I made a security change that effectively prevented Contributors from editing work items in the default area for the team project.  This also stopped anyone who just left the default area (the root) selected when creating a code review.

In implementing portfolio management I am now reserving the root area for epic/project work item types only.  These WIT I will end up locking down to be created/edited by our PMO office.  I do not want a random developer creating a user story with a crazy title that will be visible to senior leadership or our PMO office.

Upon searching nothing jumped out as an easy way to change the area.  Also when opening the code review work item the area path was grayed out and not alterable.  Then it dawned on me that this is a work item and like any other work item I should be able to query it and edit the results.

The query about showed me all the open code reviews that where in my root area (PD).  I then selected the results and moved them to the appropriate area path.

One final note is to remind your teams that when they create code reviews from changesets to not leave the default area selected.  Select the area that matches your product or team.

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