Normally, an application uses the AllocMem() function to ask for memory: APTR AllocMem(ULONG byteSize, ULONG attributes); The byteSize argument is the amount of memory the application needs and attributes is a bit field which specifies any special memory characteristics (described later). If AllocMem() is successful, it returns a pointer to a block of memory. The memory allocation will fail if the system cannot find a big enough block with the requested attributes. If AllocMem() fails, it returns NULL. Because the system only keeps track of how much free memory is available and not how much is in use, it has no idea what memory has been allocated by any task. This means an application has to explicitly return, or deallocate, any memory it has allocated so the system can return that memory to the free memory list. If an application does not return a block of memory to the system, the system will not be able to reallocate that memory to some other task. That block of memory will be lost until the Amiga is reset. If you are using AllocMem() to allocate memory, a call to FreeMem() will return that memory to the system: void FreeMem(APTR mymemblock, ULONG byteSize); Here mymemblock is a pointer to the memory block the application is returning to the system and byteSize is the same size that was passed when the memory was allocated with AllocMem(). Unlike some compiler memory allocation functions, the Amiga system memory allocation functions return memory blocks that are at least longword aligned. This means that the allocated memory will always start on an address which is at least evenly divisible by four. This alignment makes the memory suitable for any system structures or buffers which require word or longword alignment, and also provides optimal alignment for stacks and memory copying. Memory Attributes Allocating System Memory Freeing System Memory Memory Information Functions Using Memory Copy Functions Summary of System Controlled Memory Handling Routines