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

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

Reason:
The oracle software owner is not the owner of the passwordfile.

Solutions:
1)Log on to Unix box as the same user who owns the file $ORACLE_HOME
and create the password file as follows.

$orapwd file=$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/orapw$ORACLE_SID password=password entries=5 force=y

2)Now grant sysdba privilege to the users that you need. Check V$PWFILE_USERS for the entry.
SQL>GRANT SYSDBA to SYSTEM;

3)Check the owner of $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/orapw$ORACLE_SID verify the password file,

SQL> !ls -l $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/orapw$ORACLE_SID
-rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 1536 May 25 13:31
/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/db_1/dbs/orapworcl1

4)If it is not to dba then change the ownership by
$chown oracle:dba $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/orapw$ORACLE_SID

Also change permission by,
$chmod 4640 $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/orapw$ORACLE_SID

Reference: Metalink