Technical details

Guide & specifications

All Avvistami technical information in one place: requirements, image compatibility, security, limits and international use.

← Back to homepage

System requirements

The right PC for your archive.

Review the minimum requirements for installing Avvistami and the recommended configuration for faster work with large photo archives.

System requirements for Avvistami - Wildlife photo archive
Component	Minimum requirements	Recommended configuration
Operating system	Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11, 64-bit	Up-to-date Windows 11
Processor	x64 CPU, 2 cores, 1 GHz	Intel Core i5, AMD Ryzen 5 or equivalent
Memory	4 GB RAM	8 GB; 16 GB for very large archives
Display	1280 × 720 pixels	Full HD 1920 × 1080 or higher
Graphics	Integrated graphics	Integrated or dedicated graphics with up-to-date drivers
Application storage	At least 250 MB free	Install on an SSD
Photo storage	Depends on archive size	At least twice the space used by your photos
Internet connection	Not required to browse the local archive	Required for updates, maps and online services
Required software	.NET Framework 4.8 or later	Latest available version of .NET Framework

Storage space

Avvistami uses about 30 MB after installation. In “Copy to archive” mode it stores originals, thumbnails, previews, the database and backups: for 100 GB of photos, at least 200–250 GB of free space is recommended.

Windows 10 compatibility

Avvistami supports 64-bit Windows 10 version 22H2. As Microsoft’s standard support has ended, Windows 11 or Windows 10 with active ESU updates is recommended for greater security.

Recommended performance

A dedicated graphics card is not required. An SSD and at least 8 GB of RAM make imports, previews, searches and backups faster.

Photo compatibility

Formats, EXIF and import limits.

Technical information worth knowing before importing a photo archive into Avvistami.

Supported formats

JPG / JPEG

Recommended format, with the best compatibility for previews and EXIF metadata.

PNG and BMP

Accepted, but they often contain no EXIF metadata.

TIFF / TIF

Accepted when Windows can decode them. BigTIFF, multi-page TIFF files or unusual compression methods may not work or may show only partial metadata.

RAW and DNG

Currently unsupported. CR2/CR3, NEF, ARW, ORF, RAF and similar formats must be exported as JPG or a compatible TIFF.

When EXIF data may be missing or incorrect

Screenshots, scans and images downloaded from the Web.
Photos received through social networks or messaging apps.
Exports that strip metadata.
Metadata stored only in XMP/IPTC sidecar files or proprietary MakerNotes.
Edited or corrupted files, or files with non-standard EXIF dates.
An incorrect camera clock or time zone.
Cameras without GPS.

If there is no valid EXIF date

Avvistami looks for a date in the file or folder name; if none is found, it uses the file modification date and marks it as uncertain.

Current limits

No preset total limit for the archive.
Up to 100,000 images per guided folder import, including subfolders.
Manual selection has no explicit numerical limit.
Up to 512 MB, 100 million pixels and 40,000 pixels per side for each image.
The actual overall limit depends on available storage space and computer performance.

Installation and security

Installation, security and protection of your photographs.

Avvistami – Wildlife Photo Archive is free software for Windows 10 and Windows 11, designed to organize wildlife photographs, sightings, locations, statistics and possible returns of observed animals.

Clean, current-user-only installation

Installation is performed only for the current user and adds no drivers, system services, browser extensions or scheduled tasks. Avvistami creates only the files it needs, shortcuts requested by the user and its uninstall entry.

Possible Windows warnings

The current version does not yet have a certified digital signature. Windows may therefore show messages such as:

“Windows protected your PC”
“Unrecognized app”
“Unknown publisher”

These warnings do not automatically mean that a virus is present: they may appear because the application is new, not yet widely used and has no recognized digital signature.

On Windows 10, after checking that the file comes from the official website, you may need to select “More info” and then “Run anyway”.

On Windows 11, Smart App Control may block an unsigned application without allowing you to continue. Windows in S mode also allows installation only of applications available from the Microsoft Store.

Business or school computers may also apply security policies that prevent software from running unless it has been approved in advance.

Antivirus checks

The current test build of the installer and the main executable have been scanned with Microsoft Defender with no threats detected. Some third-party antivirus products may still report a false positive, block the download or temporarily quarantine the file. In that case, we recommend:

check that the file comes from the official website
compare its SHA-256 hash
scan it again with an up-to-date antivirus
report the file to the antivirus vendor as a possible false positive

We do not recommend disabling antivirus protection completely or creating broad exclusions for entire folders.

Protection of original photographs

Avvistami does not modify or delete original photographs during import. Source images are opened read-only.

With “Copy to archive”, Avvistami creates a separate copy verified with SHA-256, plus a thumbnail and preview. With “Keep in original location”, Avvistami records the file path without altering the file.

Uninstalling Avvistami does not delete original photographs, your personal database or the archive stored in Local App Data. Managed copies, thumbnails and previews are internal application data and may be removed when the user deliberately deletes the related sighting or link. Always keep your original photographs and an independent backup.

Installed data

Avvistami installs only:

the application and its configuration
the software licence
the selected icons and logo
the Start menu shortcut
the Desktop shortcut, when requested
the entry required for uninstalling

The database, previews and managed copies remain separate from the application files.

International use

Can I use Avvistami in the United States or other countries?

Yes. There are no geographic restrictions: the interface can be set to English, species missing from the built-in lists can be added manually with no limit on the number of custom species, and locations in any country can be recorded with place, GPS coordinates and other data. Scientific name, order and family may need to be entered manually for a custom species; after its first sighting it can also be used in the calendar, statistics and possible-return alerts. EXIF GPS coordinates work worldwide, and Google Maps-based features can open foreign locations as well. Some fields currently remain Italian-oriented, such as Comune/Provincia and DD/MM/YYYY dates. A future international localization can adapt them to the selected country — for example City/State and MM/DD/YYYY in the United States — and always include a Country field.