The resolution I've decided on is to reinstall Zorin at a more convenient time. I’m committed to sticking with Zorin rather than switching to something like KDE Neon or another distro. While I respect Plasma, I’m not particularly drawn to it, and experimenting with Plasma on my current setup caused some issues with my system settings. For now, I value stability over experimentation.
Here’s a quick summary of my experience:
The Good:
- Plasma resolved some delays in loading many-files-folder in Files, see this thread.
The Bad:
- I'm encountering Qt platform plugin errors with the Calibre application, which limits its full usability.
- Online video playback on various websites doesn't work in both Firefox and Brave browsers. (Playback stops within a second after pressing Play)
What’s worth noting is that these issues are not present on my other Zorin system. This suggests something unique to this installation and temporary switch to Plasma rather than an inherent problem with Zorin itself.
I’m optimistic that a fresh installation will resolve these issues, and I’ll make sure to avoid over-tinkering with the setup this time to maintain stability. 
