After reading various posts, I solved the problem. I disconnected the power and removed the battery. I then reinserted the battery, connected the power cord, and pressed the power button. The BIOS update "recovered," continued, and the system finally booted up. I was able to enter my password and the system is working normally now. I'm by no means a computer expert, so this experience was really frightening. I hope my solution helps someone else.
↧