Inspiron 1525 freezing after BIOS A17 update

Have an Inspiron 1525 (having factory BIOS Revision A08) and just reformatted the drive, reinstalled the OS (XP Pro SP2) and drivers.  At this point the system was running great.  Went to the Dell download site and got the 1525_A17.EXE BIOS (A17) update file. 

I followed all directions when updating and let the program take over. 

Upon reboot to the Dell screen, the progress bar stops about 1/6 of the way across, but the screen does show it was updated to "BIOS Revision A17." 

I've left the laptop alone as directed, but after 3 hours the progress doesn't budge.  The bar reaches the same point and goes no further when rebooting.

I simply cannot get past this screen, even trying the function keys.

I found the original factory BIOS file on the Dell site, so all I need is info on how to get the original file back on the laptop via flash drive or CD.

Also, I've popped out the CMOS battery, held down the power button for 20 seconds, and let it set for 24 hours before reinserting the battery and trying again.

Many, many thanks!