I've been using a combination of the default desktop layout with the app grid menu and a custom hotcorner extension (yes, i use Gnome Tweaks) since i first installed Zorin 15 and had no trouble whatsoever with it. But now i noticed that the default Zorin Menu and the Activities Button cannot be clicked anymore (see GIF below). The bug applied to the Applications Menu as well.

I don't use them anymore but it still bugs me why they don't work? I've searched Ubuntu forums and one explanation is that the Gnome settings files are corrupted and the solutions are to either make another user and move my files there (definitely not doing this because setting up my dev environment is tedious), or to delete the Gnome settings files (.gnome .gnome2 .gconf .gconfd .metacity).
Is it safe to delete those files and what are the effects of it? Is there another safer way?