No relief is expected next quarter, said Microsoft's CFO during a conference call after the fiscal Q3 earnings were released. But one analyst said Microsoft's sales may start picking up again by year's end, boosted by corporate renewals.

Operating income for the Windows client division was US$2.5 billion in the third quarter ending March 31, down 19% from the year before.

Operating income in the Microsoft Business Division, of which the majority of the revenue comes from sales of Office, fell 8% year over year to $2.9 billion.

In its and an accompanying , Microsoft blamed falling sales of PCs to businesses for the Windows shortfall, combined with lower profits per PC on the consumer side with fast-rising netbooks, which use the less profitable Windows XP.

On Office, Microsoft cited slumping computer sales, including .