Hrmm.. Some thoughts (as meager as they are)..

Remove the CDrom and DVD, and try the drive on the other channel (ide 2 instead of 1). Check jumpers. Try replacing the cable. Have you tried the drive in another machine?

If that doesn't work, sounds like the IDE connectors may be defective. The MOBO is not totally shot. You could get an expansion card to by-pass the on-board connectors. Does the board support those kinds of drives (e.g., ATA-66, ATA-100, etc.)?