[Software] Timeshift do not recover system but only after applying clone image

[panpan]

Recently I experienced again something that happened in the past with other Linux OS, but not specific with the screensaver. After removing the program XScreenSaver and xscreensaver-data the system became unstable, the windows did not open completely the panel did not respond when clicking with the mouse.
So, I used an image of Timeshift to recover the system and also another image of Timeshift, but the system did not recover, on the contrary after login it stuck completely with not seeing the panel not mouse respond neither the keyboard. Like a virus killing the system.
What I did and it worked now but also in the past, is first to recover the system with an old clone image and after to use Timeshift to bring back the system at more recent time.
It looks like that the clone image restore the basis of the system and Timeshift after that can do the job which is made to do.
The question to programmers, what basis of the system are damaged and the Timeshift can not recover it by itself?

[CwF]

The question to programmers, what basis of the system are damaged and the Timeshift can not recover it by itself?

XScreenSaver and Timeshift are packages I currently don't use, screensaver has caused me issues in the past and timeshift I simply don't need.

Within ~/home there can be 'cruft' that is not modified by package removal or even purges. Differing DE's use session caches and .config scenarios that may or may not be manipulated (hosed) by a utility like timeshift.

The 'Desktop Environment' is relevant to such questions, so state which or what combination are in use.

Generally creating a new user is the fastest way to determine if the issue is in the particular user config. All housekeeping issues within ~/home are the users responsibility.

[panpan]

The question to programmers, what basis of the system are damaged and the Timeshift can not recover it by itself?

XScreenSaver and Timeshift are packages I currently don't use, screensaver has caused me issues in the past and timeshift I simply don't need.

Within ~/home there can be 'cruft' that is not modified by package removal or even purges. Differing DE's use session caches and .config scenarios that may or may not be manipulated (hosed) by a utility like timeshift.

The 'Desktop Environment' is relevant to such questions, so state which or what combination are in use.

Generally creating a new user is the fastest way to determine if the issue is in the particular user config. All housekeeping issues within ~/home are the users responsibility.

According to your explanation, since it recovers well the system Timeshift after applying the clone image, it means in its configuration skips certain files in home folder where clone image recovers it. Which files are these that cause the above issue? By knowing these files, it can be reproduced the issue in a test by removing these files.

[CwF]

Which files are these that cause the above issue? By knowing these files, it can be reproduced the issue in a test by removing these files.

I wouldn't know without using it.
For XFCE I'd wonder about ~/.config/xfce4-session/ and ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/. Anything that could have a bad state. I've read about some corruption in those files from unknown (user) issues. I suppose its possible to take a snapshot of a bad setup?