How exactly does an update failing to install fall into the definition of Catastrophic? Every once in a blue moon I'll get a message that will say an update failed to install, I just click OK and go about my business.

THIS
The author here is quite the drama queen.

1) Just before tax day, Microsoft released a botched security patch (MS12-025/KB 2653638) that kept many TurboTax users from printing their tax forms.

So don't wait till the last minute to do your taxes and software glitches won't be a problem. If you do wait, and they are a problem, file for an extension. This is the closest to catastrophic as the whole list gets and it is easily avoided by not doing things at the vary last minute.

2 &3) failed to install on many Windows XP and Server 2013 systems

So hit OK and move on - not catastrophic

4) Windows 8 patches are documented with knowledge base articles, and security patches receive Microsoft numbers, as we're accustomed to. The problem is that there is very little documentation about what has been done to the other components. There's no change log for Metro apps -- even key apps. The RT firmware patches are basically undocumented, aside from very broad statements from Microsoft.

Not too many people use W8 and only a tiny percent of those read the patch documentation, and of those only a few know what they are looking at and are reading it for a reason. So this whole complaint boils down to 6 people were inconvenienced!

5) The patch was supposed to fix a security hole that allowed hacked TrueType or OTF fonts to take over your computer. The next day, CorelDraw customers started complaining that many large-size fonts wouldn't render correctly.

I suppose this could be a problem for graphic designers, but most people didn't notice, so Catastrophic? Hardly

How exactly does an update failing to install fall into the definition of Catastrophic? Every once in a blue moon I'll get a message that will say an update failed to install, I just click OK and go about my business.

I've had exactly one issue that could be attributed to an update, and that was sometime back in 05/06 and I honestly can't remember what it was anymore. It's a pretty simple matter to check and see if an update is causing a problem then uninstall it.

FTA - "Of course you need to apply patches sooner or later. Some even need to be installed immediately, but those are almost always released "out of band" to great fanfare in the computer press."

Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. When a critical patch comes in, whether it;s OOB or not, install that sucker right farking now. When they list a patch as critical, they aren't kidding.

I turned off automatic update.

Yeah, yeah. Security risks or something. Blah blah blah.

I don't like having to wait for the thing to deal with the 768967896796 updates MS seems to release every week. Takes too long. Very annoying.

Really running low on excuses for your daily PC vs Mac vs Linux poop tossin' aren't you there subs?