ORA-01994: GRANT failed: password file missing or disabled

How to replicate?

Below is the one of the way to replicate this issue. Connect to sysdba and grant sysdba privilage to sys user.

Cause :

Oracle is unable to read your password file.

Just make sure the below,

1) Create a password file if it does not exist

2) While creating password file make sure to mention $ORACLE_HOME/dbs in file variable.
 Ex : orapwd file=$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/orapwORADEV password=change_on_install entries=4

By default oracle looks for password file here. Either mentioned the above or move to $ORACLE_HOME/dbs and create password file.

3) Make sure your sid matches with the password file (Upper case or lower case).

Ex :

NAME      OPEN_MODE
--------- --------------------
ORADEV    READ WRITE

For my db, it worked only after created like orapwORADEV

The above should fix this error.