SQL Server: Invalid prefix or suffix characters error message

When trying to do different operations in SQL Server Management Studio such as "Edit Top 200 Rows", you might get the error message "Invalid prefix or suffix characters. (MS Visual Database Tools)".

This is most likely due to the fact that the Management Studio tool is an older version than the database you are connected to and trying to perform the operation on. For instance, using SQL Server Management Studio for SQL Server 2008R2 and connecting to a SQL Server 2012 database will render the above error message when trying to perform the "Edit Top 200 Rows" operation on a table or view.

The solution is to use the same version of Management Studio as the database in question.