---
title: free
framework: kernel
role: pseudoSymbol
path: kernel/ioregistryentry/1810704-free
---

# free

Standard free method for all IORegistryEntry subclasses.

## Declaration

```occ
virtual void free(
 void ); 
```

## Overview

Overview This method will release any resources of the entry, in particular its property table. Note that the registry entry must always be detached from the registry before free may be called, and subclasses (namely IOService) will have additional protocols for removing registry entries. free should never need be called directly.

## See Also

### Miscellaneous

- [attachToChild](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810177-attachtochild.md)
- [attachToParent](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810196-attachtoparent.md)
- [childFromPath](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810215-childfrompath.md)
- [compareName](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810236-comparename.md)
- [compareNames](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810259-comparenames.md)
- [copyChildEntry](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810279-copychildentry.md)
- [copyLocation](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810296-copylocation.md)
- [copyName](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810315-copyname.md)
- [copyParentEntry](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810335-copyparententry.md)
- [copyProperty(const char *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810352-copyproperty.md)
- [copyProperty(const char *, const IORegistryPlane *, IOOptionBits)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810371-copyproperty.md)
- [copyProperty(const OSString *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810386-copyproperty.md)
- [copyProperty(const OSString *, const IORegistryPlane *, IOOptionBits)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810403-copyproperty.md)
- [copyProperty(const OSSymbol *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810428-copyproperty.md)
- [copyProperty(const OSSymbol *, const IORegistryPlane *, IOOptionBits)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810451-copyproperty.md)
- [dealiasPath](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810478-dealiaspath.md)
- [detachAbove](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810509-detachabove.md)
- [detachAll](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810550-detachall.md)
- [detachFromChild](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810594-detachfromchild.md)
- [detachFromParent](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810632-detachfromparent.md)
- [dictionaryWithProperties](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810672-dictionarywithproperties.md)
- [fromPath(const char *, const IORegistryPlane *, char *, int *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810742-frompath.md)
- [fromPath(const char *, const IORegistryPlane *, char *, int *, IORegistryEntry *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810796-frompath.md)
- [getChildEntry](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810842-getchildentry.md)
- [getChildIterator](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810873-getchilditerator.md)
- [getDepth](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810910-getdepth.md)
- [getGenerationCount](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810941-getgenerationcount.md)
- [getLocation](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810970-getlocation.md)
- [getName](kernel/ioregistryentry/1810990-getname.md)
- [getParentEntry](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811012-getparententry.md)
- [getParentIterator](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811037-getparentiterator.md)
- [getPath](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811074-getpath.md)
- [getPathComponent](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811114-getpathcomponent.md)
- [getPlane](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811147-getplane.md)
- [getProperty(const char *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811182-getproperty.md)
- [getProperty(const char *, const IORegistryPlane *, IOOptionBits)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811215-getproperty.md)
- [getProperty(const OSString *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811230-getproperty.md)
- [getProperty(const OSString *, const IORegistryPlane *, IOOptionBits)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811244-getproperty.md)
- [getProperty(const OSSymbol *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811254-getproperty.md)
- [getProperty(const OSSymbol *, const IORegistryPlane *, IOOptionBits)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811263-getproperty.md)
- [getPropertyTable](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811272-getpropertytable.md)
- [getRegistryEntryID](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811281-getregistryentryid.md)
- [getRegistryRoot](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811288-getregistryroot.md)
- [init](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811299-init.md)
- [inPlane](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811307-inplane.md)
- [isChild](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811317-ischild.md)
- [isParent](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811327-isparent.md)
- [makePlane](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811335-makeplane.md)
- [removeProperty](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811343-removeproperty.md)
- [removeProperty(const OSString *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811354-removeproperty.md)
- [removeProperty(const OSSymbol *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811362-removeproperty.md)
- [runPropertyAction](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811370-runpropertyaction.md)
- [serializeProperties](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811384-serializeproperties.md)
- [setLocation](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811397-setlocation.md)
- [setName(const char *, const IORegistryPlane *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811407-setname.md)
- [setName(const OSSymbol *, const IORegistryPlane *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811420-setname.md)
- [setProperties](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811430-setproperties.md)
- [setProperty](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811442-setproperty.md)
- [setProperty(const char *, bool)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811451-setproperty.md)
- [setProperty(const char *, const char *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811461-setproperty.md)
- [setProperty(const char *, OSObject *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811476-setproperty.md)
- [setProperty(const char *, unsigned long long, unsigned int)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811491-setproperty.md)
- [setProperty(const OSString *, OSObject *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811507-setproperty.md)
- [setProperty(const OSSymbol *, OSObject *)](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811520-setproperty.md)
- [setPropertyTable](kernel/ioregistryentry/1811536-setpropertytable.md)