A family member had the same problem. If you can’t guess the password within 5 or so tries then you need to purchase a new hard drive just to use the computer. (You can choose to keep your old hard drive just in case you find your password written down in a scribbler.)
It costs ~$250+ to replace the hard drive.

I really think that there is a demand for a digital locksmith training/licensing.

Yes, we need her hard drive because we need everything on it, can I take it out and put it into a new system?

I don’t think you can without PASSWORD !

Have you thought about where she might have kept a list?

Did your mother create the password?

If so, perhaps she used a family member’s name or birthday.

It is not going to be that basic. We can try, it is not a bad thought, but she changed it after my brother snooped on it and she even said no one was going to figure it out. I do not want to be locked out of it so we have to think.

We have found various password lists, nothing for a computer (its all labeled).

Not dismissing ideas, it is just going to be a lot harder than you would think. She was very private and protective. I am super, SUPER shocked her phone was not locked…

There are ways to gain access since you have physical access to the device. I think it comes down to how important it is to get in? There are white hat hackers who will break into computers with permission. Any idea of which version of Windows it’s running?

I do not know the version. It has been a while since she used it

Windows 7 rolled out on 10/22/09.
W10 on 7/29/15,

For my money, I’d say either the password you want or a hint to it is on the password lists you’ve found. Mislabeled, of course. The label itself might be a clue.

I’d try a local computer repair shop. Creating a new user account on the PC from the lock screen which can then access your moms files is relatively straight forward if you know what your doing.

This video gives some advice. If nothing works you may need to get advice from a lawyer.

Is it the windows password? MS Windows is not secure at all and you can just boot a Linux USB drive from the bios and change it. Had to do this at least a dozen times for friends and family. It always works. https://www.tech-couch.com/post/resetting-windows-passwords-from-linux. You’ll have to set the boot order in the bios to have it boot USB first. It’s usually the F1 or F2 key on boot when prompted. If you don’t know how to make a linux USB stick here are instructions: https://www.kali.org/docs/usb/live-usb-install-with-windows/

Yes, you can. Take it to a computer repair person.

There are ways to get at this data without having the password. What version of Windows is it running?

Hmm. You might be able to log in as the administrator?

So did you get by the password?

No, I think we may be able to do it without

Another way is to pull the drive, use one of those internal to external hard drive adapter cables and mount the drive on another computer. You can usually pull off the files that way without logging into Windows.