Sudden M11x Trouble-CCleaner, Shut Down, etc. Please help?

Yesterday, laptop running low on battery and on its last legs. Just as I was about to press shut down (mouse literally right on the button), it automatically hibernates (or maybe goes to sleep?). Fine.
This morning, get up, connect it to power so that it'll start charging and go about my stuff. About 15-20 minutes later, come back to turn it on (usually after that amount of time, it's stable).
Turns on and asks me if I want to continue normally. I hit enter and go on.
Suddenly, it flashes on my desktop without asking for my password (which it always does). I try to run CCleaner (why it was on yesterday in the first place). Mouse gets the loading pinwheel and then disappears. Several times. Then defraggler. Same thing. Start task manager (manually, because it won't obey ctrl+alt+delete). Nothing seems amiss. Go to processes and close the CCleaners that are open so that it may actually turn on next time.
Nope.
So I figure I'll uninstall and reinstall it. Uninstall goes fine. Downloading the installation goes fine. Installation app (the .exe) won't run. Will not open. No matter what I do, that loading pinwheel appears (and now it's staying for good whenever on the desktop background), but won't do anything.
I remember last time my HP (maybe Dell?) did something like this and that the battery was just overheating, so I figure I'll shut it down properly and take out the battery for a minute or so.
M11x will not shut down. I click 'shut down' several times. Won't happen. Restart doesn't work. Only thing that works is hibernate, and again, it brings me back to my desktop without asking for my password.
Anyway, m11x is off. I flip it over and realize the battery is not displayed--it must be on the inside. Find screwdriver, but only works on some of them. Can't lift it off all the way. Whatever. Screw nails back in.
Ran 1/2 an ESET scan, before realizing it was a computer issue and not a firewall thing. Stopped it.
Installing CCleaner still isn't working. Loading pinwheel still shows up while on background. Can access my files, word, stuff but computer is just acting really super-weird.

I have no idea what to do. Nine months of perfection--why is it crapping out now?

Any ideas/suggestions/advice/instructions, please let me know. I really appreciate it.


EDIT: desktop disappeared, did a hard reset (shut down?). Seems to have been a spaz. No idea. Thank you for the help and suggestions!

 

honestly, I really doubt it's the battery.
Maybe check the RAM, it could be a culprit
Look for a good antivirus, or even better: a clean windows reinstall.
Once this is done, you will know better where you stand.

good luck

 

Why not running a system restore to go back to a date before the issue happened?