BitlockerTimer

A tiny Windows floating bar that polls manage-bde and shows BitLocker conversion progress (encrypt or decrypt, depending on mode). No extra dependencies beyond Python 3.10+ and the standard library (tkinter is bundled with the official Windows installer).

Why

Windows can take a long time to encrypt or decrypt a volume. The GUI does not always expose a simple percentage. This script reads manage-bde -status on an interval and shows a small always-on-top strip you can drag anywhere.

Quick start

1. Clone or download this folder.
2. (Optional) Copy config.example.json to config.json and edit. On first run, the app creates config.json from the example if it is missing.
3. Start it from PowerShell with Administrator rights (needed so manage-bde can read status):

Easiest — self-elevating launcher (UAC prompt):

cd path\to\BitlockerTimer
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Run-Elevated.ps1

Or open Windows PowerShell → Run as administrator, then:

cd path\to\BitlockerTimer
python .\BitlockerTimer.py

Right-click the bar for Settings or Exit. Drag with the left mouse button to move.

Settings

Option	Meaning
Drive letter	Volume to query (e.g. C).
Refresh (seconds)	How often to run manage-bde (5–600).
Opacity	Window transparency (0.35–1.0).
Always on top	Keep the bar above other windows.
Exit when complete	Close the app when progress reaches 100%.
Language	en or tr for UI strings only.
Progress mode	Inverse — matches the original script: useful when watching decryption (percentage encrypted falls toward 0; the bar approaches 100%). Direct — raw “percentage encrypted” for encryption toward 100%.

manage-bde output follows the system display language; the parser recognizes common English and Turkish percentage labels. If your locale uses different wording and parsing fails, use English display language for Windows or extend the regex in BitlockerTimer.py.

Requirements

• Windows with BitLocker / manage-bde available
• Python 3.10+ with tkinter (enable tcl/tk in the installer if needed)
• Querying status usually requires Administrator rights. Use elevated PowerShell (not a normal double-click on python.exe). If the bar says Open PowerShell as admin, close it and use Run-Elevated.ps1 or Windows PowerShell → Run as administrator, then run python .\BitlockerTimer.py from this folder.

Security note

The app only runs manage-bde -status on the chosen drive. It does not store keys or change BitLocker configuration.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.