Jack,
Re your duff Com 1 ports, Mb makers have this strange habit of being "different" With AT style Mb's the header cable to the com ports can be wired in 2 different ways and the only way I have found that out is by looking at the cables where they are soldered on to the back of the socket.
Pick the wrong one out of the spaghetti in the spare parts box and get VERY frustrated
Lots of luck!
MAx