Retirement and Post-Retirement Benefit Plans - Lump sum program (Narrative) (Details) - Defined Benefit Plans employee in Thousands, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2020 USD ($) employee
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of employees \| employee	12
Settlement payment	$ 2,200
Actuarial loss	$ 214

Defined Benefit Plan, Lump Sum Program, Number Of Employees

No definition available.

Name:	hpq_DefinedBenefitPlanLumpSumProgramNumberOfEmployees
Namespace Prefix:	hpq_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of gain (loss) from change in actuarial assumptions which (increases) decreases benefit obligation of defined benefit plan. Assumptions include, but are not limited to, interest, mortality, employee turnover, salary, and temporary deviation from substantive plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118255775&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanActuarialGainLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanDisclosureLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of payment, which decreases plan assets of defined benefit plan, for irrevocable action relieving primary responsibility for benefit obligation and eliminating risk for obligation and assets used to effect settlement. Transaction constituting settlement includes, but is not limited to, making lump-sum cash payment to participant in exchange for their rights to receive specified benefits and purchasing nonparticipating annuity contract.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(8)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118255775&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanSettlementsPlanAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: