I recently downloaded the Oracle Database 21c XE on Windows and created an account. When attempting to connect to an Oracle database, I encountered the ORA-01017 error, for misspelling my username and was able to quickly clear this error. This error means, an authentication failure due to an invalid or incorrect username or password. These are the step-by-step troubleshooting techniques that can be used to clear this error. 

5 Steps to Clear the ORA-01017 Error:

1) Verify Username and Password:

    The first step is to double-check if the username and password combination you provided is correctly spelled. 

2) Check Account Status:

    Check that the user account with the given username is not locked, expired, or disabled. Use administrative credentials, such as the system user, to execute a SQL query that checks the account status:

SELECT username, account_status FROM dba_users WHERE username = 'your_username';

    Replace 'your_username' with the actual username you are trying to log in with. If the account is locked or expired, take the necessary steps to unlock or reset the password.

3) Reset Password:

    If you think that the password is incorrect or forgotten, you can reset it using the following SQL statement:

ALTER USER your_username IDENTIFIED BY new_password;

    Replace 'your_username' with the actual username and 'new_password' with the desired new password. 

4) Verify Connectivity:

    Make sure that you connect to the correct Oracle database instance and use accurate connection details, including the hostname, port number, and service name. Check your network connectivity. 

5) Contact the Database Administrator (DBA):

    If you have followed all the troubleshooting steps above and the ORA-01017 error still occurs, seek assistance from your organization's database administrator (DBA). The DBA can verify the user account status, reset the password if necessary, and further help you to clear this error.

Once these steps are completed the error should clear.