title: Does OS reclaim memory on application exit in C?
body: <blockquote>
    <p><strong>Possible Duplicate:</strong><br>
    <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2213627/when-you-exit-a-c-application-is-the-malloc-ed-memory-automatically-freed">When you exit a C application, is the malloc-ed memory automatically freed?</a>  </p>
  </blockquote>
  
  
  
  <p>Pretty much the title. Do (modern) OSs automatically reclaim heap-allocated memory on program termination? If so, is freeing the memory a <em>strict must</em> or more of a <em>just-follow-the-damn- standard-you-fool</em> kinda thing?</p>
  
  <p>What is the worst thing than can happen if I do not explicitly free the memory except that I end up wasting it while the application is in run?</p>