Stockholders' Equity (Details) (USD $) Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2011
Stockholders' Equity
Share repurchases executed	16		59
Share repurchases settled		128		245
Share repurchases settled	$ 365,000,000	$ 4,600,000,000	$ 1,495,000,000	$ 9,617,000,000
Share repurchase authorization remaining			9,300,000,000
Comprehensive Income
Net (loss) earnings	(8,857,000,000)	1,926,000,000	(5,796,000,000)	6,835,000,000
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of taxes
Net unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities	29,000,000		29,000,000		37,000,000
Net unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges	140,000,000		140,000,000		(41,000,000)
Cumulative translation adjustment	(491,000,000)		(491,000,000)		(385,000,000)
Unrealized components of defined benefit plans	(2,954,000,000)		(2,954,000,000)		(3,109,000,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(3,276,000,000)		(3,276,000,000)		(3,498,000,000)
Total HP Stockholders' Equity
Comprehensive Income
Net (loss) earnings	(8,857,000,000)	1,926,000,000	(5,796,000,000)	6,835,000,000
Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities:
Net change in unrealized (losses) gains on available-for-sale securities, net of tax of $2 million and $3 million for three months and net of tax benefit of $3 million and net of tax $1 million for nine months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011 respectively	6,000,000	5,000,000	(8,000,000)	15,000,000
Net change in unrealized gains/losses on cash flow hedges:
Unrealized gains (losses) recognized in OCI, net of tax of $157 million and $46 million for the three months and net of tax of $249 million and net of tax benefit of $195 million for nine months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively	295,000,000	49,000,000	419,000,000	(389,000,000)
(Gains) losses reclassified into income, net of tax of $91 million and net of tax benefit of $117 million for the three months and net of tax of $128 million and net of tax benefit of $226 million for nine months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively	(188,000,000)	222,000,000	(238,000,000)	435,000,000
Net change in unrealized gains on cash flow hedges	107,000,000	271,000,000	181,000,000	46,000,000
Net change in cumulative translation adjustment, net of tax benefit of $43 million and net of tax of $6 million for three months and net of tax benefit of $5 million and net of tax of $24 million for nine months ended July 30, 2012 and 2011 respectively	(344,000,000)	3,000,000	(106,000,000)	135,000,000
Net change in unrealized components of defined benefit plans, net of tax benefit of $1 million and net of tax of $6 million for three months and net of tax of $55 million and $126 million for nine months ended July 30, 2012 and 2011 respectively	21,000,000	39,000,000	155,000,000	367,000,000
Comprehensive (loss) income	(9,067,000,000)	2,244,000,000	(5,574,000,000)	7,398,000,000
Components of comprehensive income, tax effects
Change in net unrealized gains, tax effect	2,000,000	3,000,000	(3,000,000)	1,000,000
Unrealized gains (losses) recognized in OCI, tax effect	157,000,000	46,000,000	249,000,000	(195,000,000)
(Gains) / losses reclassified into income, tax effect	(91,000,000)	117,000,000	(128,000,000)	226,000,000
Net change in cumulative translation adjustment, tax effect	(43,000,000)	6,000,000	(5,000,000)	24,000,000
Net change in unrealized components of defined benefit plans, tax effect	$ (1,000,000)	$ 6,000,000	$ 55,000,000	$ 126,000,000