Restructuring Charges (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010	Oct. 31, 2011 Fiscal 2010 Acquisitions	Oct. 31, 2010 Fiscal 2010 Acquisitions	Oct. 31, 2011 Fiscal 2010 ES Restructuring Plan	Jun. 30, 2010 Fiscal 2010 ES Restructuring Plan Severance position	Oct. 31, 2011 Fiscal 2010 ES Restructuring Plan Severance position	Oct. 31, 2011 Fiscal 2010 ES Restructuring Plan Infrastructure	May 31, 2009 Fiscal 2009 Restructuring Plan position	Oct. 31, 2011 Fiscal 2009 Restructuring Plan position	Aug. 31, 2008 Fiscal 2008 HP/EDS Restructuring Plan Year	Oct. 31, 2011 Fiscal 2008 HP/EDS Restructuring Plan	Aug. 31, 2008 Fiscal 2008 HP/EDS Restructuring Plan Severance position	Oct. 31, 2011 Fiscal 2008 HP/EDS Restructuring Plan Severance position	Oct. 31, 2011 Fiscal 2008 HP/EDS Restructuring Plan Infrastructure
Restructuring and related costs
Additional restructuring costs			$ 33,000,000
Expected positions to be eliminated (in number of positions)						9,000			4,400				25,000
Positions eliminated (in number of positions)							5,700			4,400				25,000
Implementation period (in years)											4
Costs reflected in purchase price of EDS											1,500,000,000
Restructuring Reserve
Balance at the beginning of the period	1,208,000,000		44,000,000		624,000,000		620,000,000	4,000,000		57,000,000		483,000,000		75,000,000	408,000,000
Charges	645,000,000		51,000,000		266,000,000		93,000,000	173,000,000		2,000,000		326,000,000		45,000,000	281,000,000
Cash payments	(1,003,000,000)		(36,000,000)		(399,000,000)		(229,000,000)	(170,000,000)		(54,000,000)		(514,000,000)		(110,000,000)	(404,000,000)
Non-cash settlements and other adjustments	(37,000,000)				5,000,000		9,000,000	(4,000,000)		(5,000,000)		(37,000,000)		(10,000,000)	(27,000,000)
Balance at the end of the period	813,000,000		59,000,000	44,000,000	496,000,000		493,000,000	3,000,000				258,000,000			258,000,000
Total costs and adjustments to date	4,488,000,000		114,000,000		916,000,000		723,000,000	193,000,000		294,000,000		3,164,000,000		2,190,000,000	974,000,000
Total expected costs and adjustments	4,764,000,000		121,000,000		992,000,000		724,000,000	268,000,000		294,000,000		3,357,000,000		2,190,000,000	1,167,000,000
Long-term portion of restructuring reserve, recorded in Other liabilities	159,000,000	297,000,000
Expected cost of the plan				121,000,000		1,000,000,000			294,000,000		3,400,000,000
Short-term portion of restructuring reserve, recorded in Accrued restructuring	$ 654,000,000	$ 911,000,000