screen flashes it is applying an update

[Jenny59]

Brand new HP chromebook delivered from Best Buy via UPS.

Opened cover.

Screen flashes: Your system is applying a critical update.  Please do not turn off.

After 30 min, tried shutting down, turning on, unplugging, plugging back in.

Same message 3 hours later.

[Echo_Lake]

@Jenny59

Thank you for posting on HP Support Community.

Don't worry as I'll be glad to help, I have a few troubleshooting steps we could try to fix the issue:  

1. Sign out of your Chromebook.
2. Press and hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r.
3. Select Restart.
4. In the box that appears, select Powerwash. Continue.
5. Follow the steps that appear and sign in with your Google Account. ...
6. Once you've reset your Chromebook:

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

[CappyC]

your reply about signing out of the user account is not possible since the machine will never even start up. As soon as the power button is pressed, it pops up saying applying a critical update please do not turn off. That message stays on screen for approximately one second before it goes to black screen for about three or four seconds and then pops back up to critical update. It appears to be stuck in a boot loop so any advice you have is going to have to start from a place of not even being able to have chrome running.

[CappyC]

about the only thing you can do is press the escape restore  and Power buttons, and then it comes up with the screen saying please insert a recovery USB stick or ST card. I downloaded the proper Chrome OS version for this HP G5 chrome book and it successfully completes the recovery, then says to remove the USB drive and the computer will reboot automatically. It does, but it reboots right back into the critical update screen. I have tried recovery using three different USB drives all of which were known to be good, and verifying that the Chrome OS I am downloading is the correct one for the model number of my system showing up at the bottom of the recovery screen. Sounds to me like the TPM module is fried or the motherboard is damaged.