@Catzpatz
Welcome to HP Forums,
This is a great place to get support, find answers and tips,
Thank you for posting your query
I'm sorry for your loss! 😞
That said, I understand you want to get into the laptop without formatting it and the issue is that you don't have the password,
Don't worry as I'll be glad to help, however, to provide an accurate resolution, I need a few more details:
What is the product number of your product? Use this link to find it: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03754824
Do you have a password reset disk and/or is this a Microsoft account?
Did you check for HP articles that have solutions to your concern?
Meanwhile, The best way to do that is using the HP Guided troubleshooter:
Click here to access it For windows 10 (simply select your description of the issue from the bottom of the screen to gain access to the next set of steps that should resolve your concern).
HP PCs - How to Change or Reset Password (Windows 10): Click here
Click here - How to Change or Reset Password (Windows 😎
Keep me posted.
Riddle_Decipher
I am an HP Employee
Learning is a journey, not a destination.
Let's keep asking questions and growing together.