Where Oracle 19c stores your login information

Oracle 19c does not store your password in a place you can retrieve it — by design. Once you set a password during installation or account creation, Oracle hashes it (converts it into a one-way code) and stores only that hash. This means even Oracle administrators cannot read your actual password back out of the database.

What you can do instead is reset your password, view your username through the database itself, or check installation logs if you are setting up a new instance. The method depends on whether you are trying to recover a forgotten password, confirm your own username, or troubleshoot a fresh installation.

Key Takeaways

  • Oracle 19c passwords cannot be retrieved once set, but you can reset them using SQL commands if you have administrative access.
  • Your username is visible in the database data dictionary tables, which you can query if you already have any valid login.
  • During installation, Oracle creates default accounts like SYS and SYSTEM with passwords you set — check your installation notes or logs for those credentials.
  • If you lose access entirely, you will need to either reset the password through the operating system (if you own the server) or contact your database administrator.
  • Password reset procedures differ depending on whether you are using SQL*Plus, Oracle Enterprise Manager, or command-line tools.

Resetting a password you have forgotten

If you know your username but not your password, and you have access to the server where Oracle 19c runs, you can reset it. Log into the server as the operating system user who owns the Oracle installation (usually called oracle on Linux or Unix systems). Then connect to the database without a password using operating system authentication.

Open a terminal and type sqlplus / as sysdba. This connects you as the SYS user without requiring a password, because the operating system itself vouches for you. Once connected, run the command ALTER USER username IDENTIFIED BY newpassword;, replacing username with the account name and newpassword with what you want to set. Then type COMMIT; to save the change.

If you are on Windows and own the server, open Command Prompt as Administrator, navigate to your Oracle bin directory (usually C:\oracle\product\19c\bin), and run the same sqlplus / as sysdba command. The process is identical from there.

Finding your username if you have any database access

If you can log into Oracle 19c with any account, you can see all usernames in the database. Connect using SQL*Plus or any SQL client, then run SELECT username FROM dba_users; This shows every user account in the system, including built-in accounts like SYS, SYSTEM, and DBSNMP.

To see only the user accounts you created (not Oracle's default ones), run SELECT username FROM dba_users WHERE created > SYSDATE - 30; This lists accounts created in the last 30 days. You can adjust the number to search further back.

If you need to know which user you are currently logged in as, type SHOW USER; and Oracle will display your current username on the next line.

Checking installation logs for default credentials

When you first install Oracle 19c, the installer creates two main administrative accounts: SYS and SYSTEM. You set their passwords during the installation wizard. If you wrote down those passwords or saved them, check your installation documentation or email confirmations.

The installation also creates a log file that records what happened during setup. On Linux and Unix, look in $ORACLE_BASE/oraInventory/logs/ for files named installActions*.log. On Windows, check C:\Program Files\Oracle\Inventory\logs\. These logs do not contain passwords, but they confirm which accounts were created and when.

If you used Oracle's automated installation (the Oracle Universal Installer), it may have generated a response file. Search your system for files ending in .rsp — these sometimes contain the passwords you entered, though they are usually deleted after installation completes for security reasons.

Using Oracle Enterprise Manager to reset passwords

If you have access to Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM), you can reset any user password through the web interface. Log into OEM with an administrative account, navigate to Administration in the left menu, then select Database Users. Find the user whose password you want to reset, click on their name, and select Edit. You will see an option to change the password without knowing the old one.

Enterprise Manager requires you to already have administrative credentials to reach this screen, so this method only works if you can log into OEM itself. If you cannot, you will need to use the SQL*Plus method described earlier.

What to do if you have no access at all

If you cannot log into the server as the operating system owner, cannot connect to the database with any account, and have no installation records, your options narrow. If you own the physical server, you can restart it in single-user mode (on Linux) or boot into Safe Mode (on Windows) to gain operating system access, then use the sqlplus / as sysdba method above.

If you do not own the server or cannot access it physically, contact your database administrator or your organization's IT department. They have tools and procedures to reset credentials without losing your data. Provide them with your username and proof of identity or authorization to access the account.

If this is a development or test instance you set up yourself and you have completely lost access, the fastest path is usually to uninstall Oracle 19c and reinstall it, setting new passwords during the process. This only works if the database contains no data you need to keep.

Protecting your credentials after you find them

Once you have your username and password, do not store them in plain text files, email, or shared documents. Instead, use a password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or KeePass to store them encrypted. If you must share credentials with a colleague, use your organization's find credential-sharing tool rather than messaging or email.

Change the default SYS and SYSTEM passwords when ready after installation if you have not already. These accounts are high-value targets because they have full database permissions. Set strong passwords that are at least 12 characters long and include uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.

Consider disabling the default accounts entirely if you do not need them, and create named administrative accounts for each person who needs access. This makes it easier to audit who did what in the database and to revoke access when someone leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see my password if I am logged into Oracle 19c?

No. Oracle stores only a hash of your password, not the password itself. Even if you are logged in as SYS, you cannot retrieve anyone's actual password. You can only reset it to a new value that you then set.

What if I installed Oracle 19c but forgot the SYS password?

Log into the server as the operating system owner (usually the oracle user on Linux), then run sqlplus / as sysdba to connect without a password. Once connected, use ALTER USER SYS IDENTIFIED BY newpassword; to set a new one.

Is there a default password for Oracle 19c?

No. The installer requires you to set passwords for SYS and SYSTEM during setup. If you skipped that step or used a wizard that auto-generated them, check your installation confirmation email or the response file from the installer.

Can I reset someone else's password without their permission?

Only if you have SYS or SYSTEM access. These accounts can reset any other user's password. In a production environment, document password resets and follow your organization's change-control procedures so there is an audit trail.

What if the database is locked and I cannot connect at all?

If the database instance is not running, start it first. On Linux, run sqlplus / as sysdba and then STARTUP; If the instance is running but you cannot connect, check that the listener is running by typing lsnrctl status in a terminal. If the listener is down, start it with lsnrctl start.