Reader mail has clogged the box, with many questions piling in about Windows 7 and the beta test. Let's get right to it.

Question: I installed Windows 7 and am working through it all. I really like it, but I can't find any drivers for my printer. I don't know if I should buy a new printer, since drivers are not out for those printers, either. How should we print?

Answer: Well, Windows 7 includes native support for a number of printers. You did not mention your printer's make or model, but you may want to check Google and get suggestions about Windows 7 from other users — the same issue comes up on a number of Windows forums — or select a generic driver or one for a model close to yours (HP 1005 if you have a 1006, for example). Many printers are supported out of the box, but some will take some fiddling. Keep in mind that Windows 7 is months from its official Oct. 22 release date. If you download and play with the test version, you are accepting that the software is not complete.

During the printer install process, you can use "Windows Update" to make sure you get the latest updates from Microsoft.

Question: You predicted that most consumers would use the 64-bit version of Windows 7 when it comes out. Why is that exactly?

Answer: The 64-bit version gets over the 3.5-gig memory limit — if you install 4 gigs of RAM, for example, Windows only "sees" 3.5 of it. If you install the 64-bit version, you can install as much RAM as your motherboard can handle. One of my PCs has enough memory slots so that I have 8 gigs of DDR2 RAM, and I can tell you that Windows 7 is pretty peppy. It also is fast with 4 gigs of RAM — much faster than Vista with the same memory, I would say.

You should not have any problems with most of your software.

Question:You mentioned cleaning desktop PCs every six months, but you don't mention anti-static straps. Aren't you being foolish with people's computers?

Answer: No, I'm telling people not to spend $6 on straps they don't need. To clean a desktop PC, you don't need an anti-static strap. What you need to do is unplug your PC from the wall and wait one minute. Take a digital picture of the back so you know where all the wires go. Then unplug them all and take it outside. Open the case outside and blow the dust out using a can of compressed air. Clean the processor, the power supply and all the air intakes.

If you are careful, you won't touch anything; if you do, ground yourself by touching a piece of metal on the outside of the case first. The strap is overkill for a cleaning job.

Question:What is the easiest way to add a second monitor to my desktop PC?

Answer: Hire a tech or a teen to add a second video card to your computer. Depending on what kind of motherboard you have, you can buy a decent card for $50 or so, unless you want to run cutting-edge games. Then you connect the second monitor to that card and keep your original monitor connected as before.

James Derk, a tech columnist for Scripps Howard News Service, owns CyberDads, a computer repair firm. E-mail him at jim(@cyberdads.com.