Linux user here (always use the Debian package, never snap, flatpak or appimage).
Did the same thing as said above (unchecked automatic updates the second time with WiFi off). I usually like to delete all from config folder to start afresh – necessary after a while when search (17.8k vault with images) becomes slow.
No asar file detected in folder upon reinstalling 1.5.3 here. (I didn’t check inside(?) Debian package, which was downloaded from releases.)
Didn’t change themes (I’ll die using this skimpy theme I have) and didn’t try Windows (no, thanks). Didn’t really test the 1.5.8 version before I went back to 1.5.3. On the iPad, I went back to 1.4.16 (18?) almost instantly.
The rest I talked (to myself) about here: