You really rode that Windows 11 rollercoaster! Sounded like a real pain and not the first time I’ve heard of Windows updates or 3rd party tweaks bricking a system. Windows has always been fragile when it comes to modifying system behavior, even when using open-source software like Open-Shell.
Glad you’re back on Linux and found a distro that works for you. Linux Lite is a good choice. I hear you on Arch, it’s great for bleeding-edge users, but the constant updates can be annoying if you want a “set it and forget it” system. I prefer rolling-release cycle so I don’t think my daily distros can be anything but rolling. There are 5 main distros that are rolling. We discussed those here: Arch Linux - problems and resolutions - #6 by hydn
Borg for backups is a great call! Fast, efficient, and deduplication makes a big difference over time. Now that you have your workflow back in place, I’m guessing you won’t be going back to Windows anytime soon. 
What kind of work do you do on your system? Gaming, development or general productivity?