I'm wondering if there is a way to get a XBox 360 controller to work with Deus Ex. I've tried playing it with keyboard and mouse, but my hands just can't ...

I can see why microsoft would not like xbox controller working on the 360, but the other way seems easy to implement and wouldn't hurt sales.

If the Xbox sync button is not working, replace the controller batteries first and see. This article lists some fixes that will help you.