Hi!

There are three ways I could think of to fix this...

First, you could look to see if your motherboard has PS/2 (round) ports in
addition to the USB ones. You could then try getting a keyboard and mouse
with PS/2 connectors on them. Some USB keyboards and mice can work both
ways. This is probably the easiest and cheapest fix unless you have your
heart set on using your current keyboard and mouse.

Secondly, you could install an add-on USB card in a PCI slot. This isn't
particularly difficult or expensive to do, but it does involve opening up
your computer, identifying the slot and installing the card. If you're
comfortable doing that and can follow directions, it should be a twenty
minute job at the most. The only drawback to this is that installing drivers
may be difficult if Windows doesn't detect and set up the card
automatically...and if your computer ever fails to start properly,
troubleshooting it may be difficult if the BIOS doesn't recognize the USB
chipset on the card and enable your keyboard.

There is a final option. If you have good soldering equipment and know how
to use it, you may find that a fuse protecting the USB ports on the
motherboard has opened up. Replacing this fuse could restore your USB ports
to working order.

William