ORA-00214: control file error

Control file version inconsistency occurs when CONTROL_FILES parameter file contains two different versions of controlfiles  at the time of instance startup. And the solution is , drop the control file having less version number and copy from controlfile having latest version number and re-name it to its original name.

Example:

---Shutdown your database and manually replace the controlfile 'CONTROL01.CTL' below with old controlfile.
SQL> shutdown immediate;
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
 
--- startup your database from pfile, at mount state, then ORA-00214 error will display
SQL> startup pfile='D:\app\Admin\virtual\virtual\product\12.2.0\dbhome_1\database\INITPRIMARY.ORA' mount;
ORACLE instance started.
 Total System Global Area 2499805184 bytes
Fixed Size                  8749920 bytes
Variable Size             687869088 bytes
Database Buffers         1795162112 bytes
Redo Buffers                8024064 bytes
ORA-00214: control file
'D:\APP\ADMIN\VIRTUAL\FAST_RECOVERY_AREA\ORCL\CONTROL02.CTL' version 8686
inconsistent with file 'D:\APP\ADMIN\VIRTUAL\ORADATA\ORCL\CONTROL01.CTL'
version 3955

  ----Again shutdown the database and drop the controlfile 'CONTROL01.CTL' above and re-create it from 'CONTROL02.CTL' and rename it again to 'CONTROL01.CTL'
 SQL> shutdown immediate;
ORA-01507: database not mounted
  ORACLE instance shut down.

 -- Then startup mount the database and create spfile from pfile.
SQL> startup pfile='D:\app\Admin\virtual\virtual\product\12.2.0\dbhome_1\database\INITPRIMARY.ORA' mount;
ORACLE instance started.
 Total System Global Area 2499805184 bytes
Fixed Size                  8749920 bytes
Variable Size             687869088 bytes
Database Buffers         1795162112 bytes
Redo Buffers                8024064 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL> create spfile from pfile;
 File created.

 ----shutdown the database
SQL> shutdown immediate;
ORA-01109: database not open
  Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.

 ----Finally, Startup the database and will work perfectly.
SQL> startup;
ORACLE instance started.
 Total System Global Area 2499805184 bytes
Fixed Size                  8749920 bytes
Variable Size             687869088 bytes
Database Buffers         1795162112 bytes
Redo Buffers                8024064 bytes
Database mounted.
Database opened.