Oracle Database: unexpire schema or fix ORA-28001 without changing the password

In Oracle Database, to unexpire schemas, you will need to issue the command as SYS/SYSTEM:

ALTER USER <USERNAME> IDENTIFIED BY <PASSWORD>

For this to happen you will need to know the password of the user you are trying to "unexpire". There are situations however where we do not know the password of the schema we are trying to unexpire.


A work around is retrieving the hashed password of the schema and issue the ALTER USER statement in slightly different manner:

Using the SCOTT/tiger example below: 

STEP 1: Retrieve the hashed password of the expired schema

Connect as SYSDBA and run the query: 

SQL> select password from sys.user$ where name = 'SCOTT';

PASSWORD
------------------------------
F894844C34402B67

STEP 2: Run the ALTER USER command as below:

SQL> ALTER USER SCOTT IDENTIFIED BY VALUES 'F894844C34402B67';

If account is locked you may need to run the following as well:

ALTER USER SCOTT ACCOUNT UNLOCK;