---
title: "Freeing Descriptors | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "01/19/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: connectivity
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: connectivity
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "SQLFreeHandle function [ODBC]"
  - "descriptors [ODBC], allocating and freeing"
  - "freeing descriptors [ODBC]"
  - "allocating and freeing descriptors [ODBC]"
ms.assetid: 317213f4-0ebb-4bf8-a37a-4d6b1313823f
author: David-Engel
ms.author: v-daenge
---
# Freeing Descriptors
Explicitly allocated descriptors can be freed either explicitly, by calling **SQLFreeHandle** with *HandleType* of SQL_HANDLE_DESC, or implicitly, when the connection handle is freed. When an explicitly allocated descriptor is freed, all statement handles to which the freed descriptor applied automatically revert to the descriptors implicitly allocated for them.  
  
 Implicitly allocated descriptors can be freed only by calling **SQLDisconnect**, which drops any statements or descriptors open on the connection, or by calling **SQLFreeHandle** with a *HandleType* of SQL_HANDLE_STMT to free a statement handle and all the implicitly allocated descriptors associated with the statement. An implicitly allocated descriptor cannot be freed by calling **SQLFreeHandle** with a *HandleType* of SQL_HANDLE_DESC.  
  
 Even when freed, an implicitly allocated descriptor remains valid, and **SQLGetDescField** can be called on its fields.