Laptop keeps doing "configuring windows update", why?

This is a laptop I just had a new OS and hard drive put in it. I have used it about 4 times. 2 times I have to wait a ridiculously long time for it do this "configuring windows update" where it starts at 1 of 20 and then slowly goes to 20 of 20 then shutsdown and restarts. It really piss me off yesterday I was in a coffee shop and without warning starts doing this "configuring windows update" with a message telling you "please to not turn off till complete. Also is it normal to see a blackscreen with writing before you see Windows loading when starting up. I'm thinking they didn't properly reload the operating system or properly clean out any exiting corrupt files from the old OS and hard drive that went bad from a corrupt file and may or is that normal. Its an ASIS laptop if that matters.