But if the choice of a leader is difficult, it is becoming increasingly clear what parts of the business need the most help.

Microsoft said sales of copies of Windows to makers of consumer PCs declined 22 percent in the quarter from a year ago, while sales of Windows for professional PCs rose 6 percent. Over all, Windows licensing revenue to PC makers declined 7 percent.

That is a reflection of a broad slump in the PC market that is hurting Microsoft and other companies. Consumers, in many cases, are shifting their spending to mobile devices like tablets. A new version of Windows designed for touch-screen devices has not resuscitated sales in the market.

Yet Microsoft has given no indication that it will back away from the consumer market.

Sales of its Surface tablets, and smartphones with its Windows Phone operating system, are having a hard time gaining market share. But this week, new versions of the tablets — the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 — went on sale. And an updated version of Windows Phones was announced last week.

In recent quarters, the commercial side has helped buoy sales and profits, and the latest quarter was no different. A basket of products aimed at businesses, including its SQL Server database, Exchange e-mail system and cloud services, sold well.

A much bigger portion of Microsoft’s profit comes from its commercial business. The company said operating income from that segment was $5.05 billion during the quarter, more than double the $2.2 billion in operating income from its devices and consumer business.

In an interview, Amy E. Hood, Microsoft’s chief financial officer, said Microsoft was “seeing signs of stabilization” in the business portion of the PC business, while the consumer side of it was “more volatile.” The company’s business, she said, is moving in the right direction.