IKJ56247I: File not freed, is not allocated

What it means

In TSO, a file is a ddname, such as SYSPROC or PAYIN, and it is tied to one or more data sets by an allocation. The FREE command removes that allocation. If you ask TSO to free a file or data set that has no allocation in your session, dynamic allocation can't find it, and TSO writes IKJ56247I. The usual form is IKJ56247I FILE ddname NOT FREED, IS NOT ALLOCATED. A DATA SET form names a data set instead of a file.

Nothing is damaged. The free simply had nothing to do. The message is common because many execs start with a FREE to clear out any old allocation before making a fresh one. The first time such an exec runs in a session, nothing is allocated yet, and IKJ56247I appears.

The same message number covers a few related cases. Some products print versions that say an information request wasn't performed because the file or data set isn't allocated. IBM groups the message with the DAIRFAIL and GNRLFAIL dynamic allocation failure messages.

Common causes

• A CLIST or REXX exec frees a ddname before allocating it, and the ddname wasn't allocated yet. This is the most common case and is harmless.
• An exec frees the same file twice, for example in a clean-up routine that runs after an earlier FREE.
• A typo in the ddname or data set name on the FREE command.
• A product ran a FREE for files it expected to exist but never allocated in this session. Vendors have fixed several of these by switching messages off around the FREE.

How to find the problem

1. Note the ddname or data set name in the message.
2. Type LISTALC STATUS at the READY prompt, or use TSO ISRDDN under ISPF, to see what is allocated in your session.
3. If the message comes from an exec, look for a FREE of that name near the start or end of it.
4. If the message appears together with a real failure, look at the messages around it. IKJ56247I is rarely the cause of the problem.

How to fix it

• In a CLIST, code CONTROL NOMSG before the FREE so the message is suppressed, and switch messages back on after it if you need them.
• In REXX, turn messages off with x = MSG('OFF') before the FREE and back on with x = MSG('ON') after it.
• Or check first. In REXX, LISTDSI('PAYIN' 'FILE') returns 0 when the ddname is allocated, so you can free it only then.
• Correct the ddname or data set name if it was mistyped.
• If a vendor product prints it on every run, check with the vendor for a fix. It is usually a cosmetic problem.

What it looks like

IKJ56247I FILE PAYIN NOT FREED, IS NOT ALLOCATED

Last reviewed 2026-10-18 by the WND Software team. Written in our own words. For the full reference, check IBM’s documentation for your z/OS release.