Borrowings (Details) (USD $)	Jul. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010	May 31, 2008
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Amount outstanding	$ 6,666,000,000	$ 7,046,000,000
Amount available under credit facility	7,500,000,000
Available borrowing resources, other than 2009 Shelf Registration	14,700,000,000
Current portion of long-term debt
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Amount outstanding	3,323,000,000	2,216,000,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)	2.20%	2.20%
Commercial paper
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Amount outstanding	2,864,000,000	4,432,000,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)	0.30%	0.30%
U.S. commercial paper authorization increase			10,000,000,000
U.S. commercial paper authorization			16,000,000,000
Subsidiaries' commercial paper authorization			1,000,000,000
Subsidiaries' commercial paper authorization, available for Hewlett-Packard International Bank PLC			500,000,000
Available borrowing resources, other than 2009 Shelf Registration	13,600,000,000
Obligation related to notes payable to banks, lines of credit, uncommitted line of credit and other debt
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Amount outstanding	479,000,000	398,000,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)	2.30%	1.50%
Deposits associated with banking activities	417,000,000	348,000,000
Available borrowing resources, other than 2009 Shelf Registration	1,100,000,000
Credit facility expiring May 2012
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Amount available under credit facility	3,000,000,000
Credit facility expiring February 2015
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Amount available under credit facility	$ 4,500,000,000