Vista ping "general error"

If your Windows Vista get isolated from network and any ping command (even loopback) boinks an ungraceful "general error", think about this: have you tried to uninstall Norton Internet Security or tampered with any Symantec program while NIS was installed?

Then try to find and run "norton removal tool", a cute program from Symantec that uninstalls programs by programmatically deleting files, folders and registty keys from Symantec (hope this could be on distribution cd as a tool, or even substitute their terrible uninstaller...).

ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/removal_tools/Norton_Removal_Tool.exe

NOTE: If you still need symantec's program, you will have to reinstall it.