explorer.exe will not run other than in safe mode

.. should add properties of filemonitor32.dll might give you a clue what to try disabling using shellexview as topgundcp suggests.. Otherwise a 'binary chop' approach with shellexview is good- make sure you hide all MS items first!

topgundcp said:

Here's what it is:
FileMonitor32.dll Windows process - What is it?

& bad news for Power Desk:
Problems with Avanquest Powerdesk 9 Pro - Microsoft Community

But no implication there it was causing your symptom. However, best would seem to be to uninstall it and go from there.

dalchina said:

But no implication there it was causing your symptom. However, best would seem to be to uninstall it and go from there.

Deleting Avanquest Powerdesk (which I had been looking at quite some time back and had forgotten that I even had on the computer) solved the problem and gave me a working Windows 10 desktop so it definitely was that causing the problem.

Thanks for suggesting I look at the event viewer and pointing out that the DLL was not a part of windows.