slight problem just can't see the answer

/* ok I now understand single linked lists just have this slight */
/* problem freeing them here */


/* I know when I input 1 for the amount there are two nodes ie top and newnode */
/* so when my program gets down to freeing the memory it outputs memory freed */
/* memory freed (which whould be correct) but when I input more than 1 for the amount */
/* and it gets down to freeing the nodes I still only see memory freed memory freed */
/* when I should be seeing memory freed equal to amount + one more memory freed */
/* for the top node */



#include<iostream.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
#include<conio.h>

#define MAX 30

struct node{
int age;
char name[MAX];
node *next;
};

int main()
{
int amount;
bool initialized=false;

node *top;
node *newnode;
node *begin;
node *store;

top=(node*)malloc(sizeof(node));

if(top==NULL)
abort();

top->next=NULL;

cout<<"How many people to be stored >";
cin>>amount;


for(int start=0;start<amount;start++)
{
newnode=(node*)malloc(sizeof(node));

if(newnode==NULL)
break;

if(!initialized)
{
top->next=newnode;
initialized=true;
}

newnode->next=NULL;

cout<<'\n'<<"Input your name >";
cin>>newnode->name;

cout<<'\n'<<"Input your age >";
cin>>newnode->age;
}

begin=top;

while(begin->next)
{
store=begin;

begin=begin->next;

if(store!=NULL)
cout<<'\n'<<"Memory freed",free(store);
}
if(begin!=NULL) cout<<'\n'<<"Memory freed",free(begin);

getch();

return 0;
}

/* thanks for all the help */

Your problems start in this section:

Code:

---

for(int start=0;start<amount;start++)
{
        newnode=(node*)malloc(sizeof(node));

        if(newnode==NULL)
        break;

        if(!initialized)
        {
                top->next=newnode;
                initialized=true;
        }

        newnode->next=NULL;

        cout<<'\n'<<"Input your name >";
        cin>>newnode->name;

        cout<<'\n'<<"Input your age >";
        cin>>newnode->age;
}

---

After you have entered one name/age, the newnode pointer is reused in the next iteration of the loop, without first storing the address in the list. It'll work once because your are doing this once:
>top->next=newnode;

Also, the way you do it, leaves an empty node at the top of the list.

Have a look at this version:

Code:

---

node *tmp;
node *top = NULL;
node *newnode;
int amount;

cout << "How many people to be stored >";
cin >> amount;

for (int start = 0; start < amount; start++)
{
        newnode = (node *) malloc(sizeof(node));

        if (newnode == NULL) break;

        newnode->next = NULL;

        cout << '\n' << "Input your name >";
        cin >> newnode->name;

        cout << '\n' << "Input your age >";
        cin >> newnode->age;

        if (top == NULL)
        {        /* first item in list */
                top = newnode;
                tmp = newnode;
        }
        else
        {        /* add to end of the list */
                tmp->next = newnode;
                tmp = newnode;
        }
}

---