Windows discovery probes returning garbled non-ASCII characters.Issue <!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } Windows discovery probes (such as "Windows - Installed Software", "Windows - Network Devices", and others) may intermittently return garbled characters for non-ASCII (for example, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Cyrillic, Arabic, etc.) string fields. This behavior has been observed in cases where the target Windows server does not have PowerShell remote execution available during the discovery run. Example of Character Corruption: - Normal (PowerShell-enabled path): "HPE Smart アレイSAS/SATAイベント通知サービス" - Garbled (PowerShell not available during execution): "HPE Smart �A���CSAS/SATA�C�x���g�ʒm�T�[�r�X" Observed Character Pattern: - ASCII characters remain intact - Non-ASCII characters (such as CJK or other localized strings) are corrupted and may appear as U+FFFD (replacement character, �) - This pattern is consistent with cases where multi-byte localized character data is not interpreted correctly in downstream processing Affected Fields: - Software DisplayName (Windows - Installed Software probe) - Device names, descriptions, product names (other Windows discovery probes) - Any probe field that contains localized (non-ASCII) string data Important Observation: The issue does not occur consistently in all runs or across all servers. In observed cases, the same server may return correct characters in one discovery run and garbled characters in another, depending on the execution context. Scope of Impact: - Limited to executions where PowerShell access is not available or not used - Does not affect ASCII-only data - More visible in environments with localized (non-English) software names or registry values Symptoms<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } 1. Records containing non-ASCII (localized) characters appear with garbled characters in discovered CI tables (for example, software names, device names, descriptions, or product fields) - Examples include Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Cyrillic, Arabic, and other localized vendor or product names 2. The same records may appear correctly in other discovery runs for the same target server 3. The same records may appear correctly for other servers within the same discovery schedule 4. The issue is intermittent and does not occur consistently in every discovery run 5. Garbled output is observed specifically in fields containing non-ASCII (localized) text 6. ASCII portions of mixed strings (for example, vendor prefixes or product codes) remain intact, while non-ASCII portions are corrupted Facts<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } Observed Behavior The following behavior has been consistently observed in environments where localized (non-ASCII) software names are present. When PowerShell access is available: - target_powershell_access: true - Localized (non-ASCII) characters are correctly preserved - Example: - "HPE Lights-Out オンライン設定ユーティリティ" - "HPE Smart アレイSAS/SATAイベント通知サービス" - "Smart Storage Administrator診断およびSSD Wear Gaugeユーティリティ" When PowerShell access is not available: - target_powershell_access: false - Localized (non-ASCII) characters may appear as garbled text (文字化け) - Example: - "HPE Lights-Out �I�����C���ݒ胆�[�e�B���e�B" - "HPE Smart �A���CSAS/SATA�C�x���g�ʒm�T�[�r�X" - "Smart Storage Administrator�f�f�����SSD Wear Gauge���[�e�B���e�B" Key Characteristics - The issue only affects non-ASCII (localized) characters - ASCII portions of the same string remain intact - The same target system may produce correct or garbled output depending on execution conditions - The same discovery run may show correct results for some servers and garbled results for others - The behavior varies based on execution context rather than configuration changes Configuration Characteristics - Probe configuration (including output_format) remains unchanged between executions - No changes in MID Server, credentials, protocol, or probe setup are required to observe this behavior - The observed variation is related to runtime execution conditions rather than static configuration differences Release<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } Applicable to: Observations from this behavior have been confirmed in the current Australia release and in earlier releases of ServiceNow with Windows Discovery functionality enabled. Platforms: - Target: Windows servers with localized software (for example, Japanese or other non-ASCII environments) - MID Server: Any MID Server performing Windows Discovery using WMI-based probes (for example, Windows - Installed Software) Note: This behavior may occur when discovery executes without PowerShell access available on the target system. Based on currently available information and related problem records (for example, PRB1499540), this behavior has been classified by the product team as expected behavior within certain execution paths, rather than a defect in probe configuration. As a result, resolving the issue typically involves ensuring that PowerShell-based discovery paths are available and consistently used, rather than relying on changes to probe configuration or platform version. Cause<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } The behavior is related to differences in how localized (non-ASCII) character data is handled across discovery execution paths. In certain execution paths, localized character handling is not always consistent, and multi-byte character data may be incorrectly interpreted, resulting in garbled output (文字化け). This occurs under specific runtime conditions where PowerShell access is not available, rather than due to configuration changes. Resolution<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } Recommended Approach To prevent this issue, ensure that PowerShell-based discovery execution is consistently available on the target system. When PowerShell access is available, discovery uses a processing path that correctly preserves localized (non-ASCII) character data. Action Items 1. Verify PowerShell remoting is enabled and operational on the target Windows host - Confirm WinRM service is running - Validate connectivity using PowerShell (for example, Test-WSMan) 2. Review environment conditions that may block PowerShell access - Firewall or network ACL rules - Security software (EDR / antivirus) - Group Policy restrictions - Credential permissions 3. Compare with working systems - Identify systems where discovery works correctly - Compare configuration differences (WinRM, permissions, policies, etc.) 4. Monitor discovery execution behavior - Verify that target_powershell_access remains consistently true - Investigate any intermittent transitions to false If PowerShell Access Cannot Be Enabled If PowerShell remote execution cannot be reliably enabled or stabilized on the target system, the following workaround options may be considered. These approaches do not resolve the underlying behavior but may help manage its impact. 1. Data Sanitization - Post-process discovered records to normalize garbled characters - Map corrupted values to known software names where possible 2. Scope Adjustment - Exclude affected systems from discovery if the corrupted data is not critical 3. Manual Management - Maintain affected software records outside of automated discovery 4. Accept Known Limitation - In environments where only the legacy WMI path is available, localized (non-ASCII) characters may not be consistently preserved Additional Notes Workarounds that attempt to force PowerShell-based processing (for example, static parameter configuration) may not be effective unless PowerShell remote execution is actually available and stable on the target system. Therefore, ensuring reliable PowerShell access remains the recommended approach. Related Links<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } - PRB1499540: "Windows - Installed Software probe creating core_company table with Unknown characters" — State: Working as Expected - PRB1799161: Windows hosted MID server self-discovery — State: Fixed (limited scope, not applicable)