Application error when access /_layouts/15/Workflow.aspx, Error=Column does not exist

The issue came when we migrated from 2007 to 2013. Tried all the possible option to fix the issue:

Application error when access /_layouts/15/Workflow.aspx, Error=Column 'MyColumnName' does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user.  /MyListName  
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFieldCollection.GetFieldByInternalName(String strName, Boolean bThrowException)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Workflow.SPWorkflow.GetIStatusAsText(Int32 iStatus)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Workflow.SPWorkflow.GetIStatusAsHtml(Int32 iStatus)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Workflow.SPWorkflow.GetIStatusAsHtml()    
 at ASP._layouts_15_workflow_aspx.__Render__control15(HtmlTextWriter __w, Control parameterContainer)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildrenInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ICollection children)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControlInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildrenInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ICollection children)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.AjaxDelta.RenderChildren(HtmlTextWriter output)    
 at System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebControl.RenderContents(HtmlTextWriter writer)    
 at System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebControl.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.AjaxDelta.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControlInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildrenInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ICollection children)    
 at System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlForm.RenderChildren(HtmlTextWriter writer)    
 at System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlContainerControl.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.SharePointForm.Render(HtmlTextWriter output)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControlInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildrenInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ICollection children)    
 at System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlContainerControl.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControlInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildrenInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ICollection children)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControlInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildrenInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ICollection children)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.UnsecuredLayoutsPageBase.RenderChildren(HtmlTextWriter writer)    
 at System.Web.UI.Page.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.DeltaPage.RenderToBase(HtmlTextWriter writer)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.DeltaPage.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.UnsecuredLayoutsPageBase.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)    
 at System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControlInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter)    
 at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)

Designer Approach

http://www.mysharepointadventures.com/2011/07/sharepoint-2010-list-workflow-status-unexpected-error/

But we could not even open Workflow.aspx to manually start the workflow.

We removed all the workflows the library (Not from SharePoint Designer) but still the issue remains the same.
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/sharepoint/en-US/352f885e-715c-4437-aff5-97c2fb29c18f/application-error-when-access-layouts15workflowaspx-errorcolumn-incoming-does-not-exist?forum=sharepointadmin

We could not use this approach as it was live site and InfoPath form library, which has its own issues.

Solution:

Manually Create the column:

We just cannot create this column via UI, it has to be via powershell or CSOM/REST.

We used the sp-pnp js https://github.com/SharePoint/PnP-JS-Core/wiki/Developer-Guide .

Steps:

This is special column basically the ‘Workflow Status’ type.

To get it right we will use the Schema of existing workflow Column
To get the schema use;
```
$pnp.sp.web.getList("/MyListUrl").fields
    .get().then(function (result) {
     for(x=0;x&lt;result.length;x++){
        console.log(result[x]);
     }
}).catch(function (error) {
     console.log(error);
});
```
Here you will see similar name column but with different number in the end like MyColumnName41.

You can copy the schema of existing column and make few tweaks.

<Field DisplayName="MyColumnName" 
Type="WorkflowStatus" 
Required="FALSE" 
ID="{678b3d73-9ccf-4e90-9e6b-132de914c53b}" 
SourceID="{4524b4c6-7c6a-4778-8d25-b5ac0e25271d}" 
StaticName="MyColumnName" 
Name="MyColumnName" 
ColName="MyColumnName123" 
RowOrdinal="0" 
Version="3" 
WorkflowStatusURL="_layouts/15/WrkStat.aspx" 
ReadOnly="FALSE">
<CHOICES>
<CHOICE>Starting</CHOICE>
<CHOICE>Failed on Start</CHOICE>
<CHOICE>In Progress</CHOICE>
<CHOICE>Error Occurred</CHOICE>
<CHOICE>Canceled</CHOICE>
<CHOICE>Completed</CHOICE>
<CHOICE>Failed on Start (retrying)</CHOICE>
<CHOICE>Error Occurred (retrying)</CHOICE>
<CHOICE /><CHOICE />
<CHOICE /><CHOICE />
<CHOICE /><CHOICE />
<CHOICE />
<CHOICE>Stopped</CHOICE>
</CHOICES>
</Field>

Here MyColumnName is the missing column or the name in the error message.

Change the SourceID={“Guid of your List”}. This guid is of the list where workflow was attached.

Code to Add this Column:

var missingField = '<Field DisplayName="MyColumnName" Type="WorkflowStatus" Required="FALSE" ID="{678b3d73-9ccf-4e90-9e6b-132de914c53b}" SourceID="{4524b4c6-7c6a-4778-8d25-b5ac0e25271d}" StaticName=" MyColumnName " Name=" MyColumnName " ColName=" MyColumnName123" RowOrdinal="0" Version="3" WorkflowStatusURL="_layouts/15/WrkStat.aspx" ReadOnly="FALSE"><CHOICES><CHOICE>Starting</CHOICE><CHOICE>Failed on Start</CHOICE><CHOICE>In Progress</CHOICE><CHOICE>Error Occurred</CHOICE><CHOICE>Canceled</CHOICE><CHOICE>Completed</CHOICE><CHOICE>Failed on Start (retrying)</CHOICE><CHOICE>Error Occurred (retrying)</CHOICE><CHOICE /><CHOICE /><CHOICE /><CHOICE /><CHOICE /><CHOICE /><CHOICE /><CHOICE>Stopped</CHOICE></CHOICES></Field>';

$pnp.sp.web.getList("/MyListName").fields.createFieldAsXml(missingField).then(f => {
      console.log(f);
});

Check if field is added correctly

$pnp.sp.web.getList("/MyListUrl").fields
.get().then(function (result) {
      for(x=0;x > result.length;x++){
          if(result[x].StaticName.indexOf("MyColumnName") > -1){
             console.log(result[x]);
          }
      }
}).catch(function (error) {
    console.log(error);
});

If all goes well, you can open the Workflow page.

Phewww…

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