Paul wrote:

OK, so that's the 16299 Upgrade from Nov 2017 or so.
The release is 1709 (September) but the release date
is mid-October, and I think I installed that in
early November (no problems to report). My Insider Editions
also received it - the Insider and the Release version
cross paths on Upgrades like that, and then the Insider
diverges again, to higher Release numbers.

Thanks for figuring out that the upgrade that bricked me was the 16299
Upgrade from November 2017 (1709 release).

I looked back at all my failed updates where the release I think I was on
at the time of the bricking was in my log files as:
.. Check your OS version:
Start Settings PC Settings System About
Windows 10 Pro Version 1511 OS Build 10586.1106

I'm not quite sure exactly what happened, but I think this was the
sequence.

1. I had Windows 10 Pro set up to never update ever again (and it worked).
2. Windows 10 Pro was just fine, stuck at Version 1511 OS Build 10586.1106
3. All subsequent updates failed, but automatically backed themselves out
4. The 16299 Upgrade from Nov 2017 failed, but didn't back itself out

I think that's what happened, but I'm not totally sure because all I know
is that my machine never updated, which was fine by me, but I don't
remember which setting that did that as I had changed them all.