To reload the machine per Dell's instruction? Many are not.
NOTE: I'm not very computer-savvy, so pardon any obvious mis-statements or omissions.
I've got a Dell XPS200 desktop, and suddenly it stopped recognizing anything connected via its USB ports (Dell optical mouse, Dell keyboard, iPod dock). To further complicate things, my monitor is now in sleep (or power-save) mode, and says it will wake up by pressing a key or moving the mouse (neither of which are registering with the computer via USB). So...I'm not even able to go to device manager or other diagnostic tools without the monitor being viewable. I did find that one of the two USB ports in the front will power the optical mouse (not the keyboard), but it still doesn't wake up the monitor when I shake it. I also don't notice any other ways (aside from USB) to hook up the mouse or keyboard, unless I'm missing something.
I haven't (knowingly) installed or changed anything in a while, so I don't think that's the cause. Maybe just old-age catching up with it, as I've had it for at least 5 years now. In case it's helpful, I have had issues for a long time now with the internal fan working overtime and sounding like a jet engine to cool the box down (seems common with the XPS200) - not sure if that may have somehow led to this either.
Any suggestions on where to start would be appreciated!

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