Change & Problem Management Application Menus missing entirely from PDI

[shreyesprakasan]

Hi everyone, I am facing an issue with my Personal Developer Instance (PDI) where the Change Management and Problem Management applications are completely missing from the application navigator menu on the left. I am logged in with the admin role and have already tried repairing the plugins related to both Change (com.snc.change_management.core) and Problem (com.snc.problem_management), but the issue persists. Interestingly, I can access the underlying data tables directly by typing commands like change_request.list or problem.list in the filter navigator, which confirms the tables exist and contain records. However, when I check the actual Application Menus table (sys_app_application.list), "Change" and "Problem" are not even listed there as categories, meaning the menus themselves seem to have completely vanished rather than just being set to inactive. Has anyone encountered this type of menu deletion on a PDI, and is there a way to force-restore these specific application menus without completely wiping or resetting the entire instance?

[rachelnach9]

This worked!

[Clueless]

Due to missing configuration of application menu. Try to import(From other PDI) or create a application menu as "Change" and give access to role : "sn_change_read". In the modules, mapped the change application menu as created, if missing. Provide the correct roles and refresh the instance. You should able to see the application in navigator. Attach the Application Menu XML for your reference and use.

[ajmalmuhamm]

Hey @shreyesprakasan ,

Since you can still access change_request and problem directly, the underlying plugins/tables appear to be intact. If Change and Problem are completely missing from sys_app_application, this is likely an issue with the application menu records rather than table access or roles.

Before resetting the PDI, I would recommend checking:

• System Definition → Application Menus and search by the application menu name or table.

• Check whether the application menu records were deleted or moved to another scope.

• Review Update Sets / System Logs to see if the menu records were accidentally deleted or customized.

• Verify that the relevant plugins are actually active, rather than relying only on repairing them.

If the sys_app_application records are genuinely deleted, repairing the plugin may not recreate them. In that case, the safest option is to have ServiceNow restore the OOB application menu records or, for a PDI, raise the issue through the ServiceNow Developer Community/support process.

I would not recommend manually recreating the OOB application menus unless you know the exact OOB configuration, because the menu can contain modules, roles, order, and application-specific configuration.

Since this is a PDI and both application menus are missing simultaneously, it could also be an instance/plugin corruption issue. If the PDI is disposable and you don't have important customizations, a reset would be the last resort—but I would try restoration/support first.

[BrettAndrewsUK]

This issue has occurred for me 3 times with Australia. I have just installed Zurich and not had the same issue.

[Dr Atul - LNG]

Hi @BrettAndrewsUK 

ServiceNow has changed the licensing model, and the New Change is part of the Advanced offering. This might be the reason it is not appearing OOTB in your PDI. ServiceNow’s current guidance shows that Change Management capabilities have different licensing entitlements, while PDIs do not necessarily provide access to every licensed feature. (ServiceNow)

Please follow these steps to check and enable the available Change Management functionality in your PDI.

Latest Recommendation

If the above troubleshooting steps do not resolve the issue, install the following application:

SOW ITSM Advanced Applications

This application includes:

• Change Management

• Problem Management

• Major Incident Management (MIM)

• On-Call Scheduling

• Walk-up Experience

Application ID: sn_sow_itsm_adv_ct
Recommended version: 9.1.1 or lower

Installing this application may enable the required Change Management and Problem Management capabilities in the PDI.