[SIM-2502833]

Hi. An IT guy I am related to recently kicked the bucket. On his PC he was upscaling all of his family photos to 4k and stored many important family photos there. I've been tasked with recovering them.
I don't have the computer yet, but it is possible it has veracrypt and potentially the 'wipe drive if too many wrong attempts' thing. If it doesn't, then it is certainly Windows 10 or 11 computer, where I would need to bruteforce the main password (and hopefully know what it is afterward, as we need to get into his gmail to get his contacts so we can notify them of his passing.) Any ideas?

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Following this up with another question: will microsoft open the computer if I have a death certificate?

[Undead]

Does it ask for the password as soon as you switch on the computer or at the Windows sign in screen? Windows sign in passwords can be easily bypassed as long as the disk in not encrypted. If the disk is encrypted then I don't know what can be done about that without the encryption key

[Scrubspoof]

If your deceased family simply has a windows password you can create a bootable disk or usb drive that boots into KON-BOOT which will completely bypass the login screen for windows, up to windows 10.


https://kon-boot.com/

"Kon-Boot has been successfully used by military personnel, law enforcement, IT corporations and professionals, forensics experts, private customers. "

If he had veracrypt.. it is likely he was hiding more than family photos. You are fucked, and microsoft will laugh at you if you ask for help.