In order to access a digital device owned by the decedent you must have the legal authority to do so, either through a will, a trust, or Probate. If you have the legal authority to settle the decedent's estate including the computing device, then the next step depends upon the device, its operating system software, and how it's protected. Some devices, such as smartphones, can be configured to erase the device if a pre-determined number of successive logins fail due to an incorrect password, therefore, it's important to use a process that will not result in the erasure of the device's data.
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