Borrowings (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2013 item	Oct. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Amount outstanding	$ 6,928,000,000	$ 6,647,000,000
Amount available under credit facility	7,500,000,000
Available borrowing resources, other than 2012 Shelf Registration	17,700,000,000
Euro
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Maximum borrowing capacity under credit facility			2,200,000,000
GBP
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Maximum borrowing capacity under credit facility			300,000,000
Current portion of long-term debt
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Amount outstanding	6,162,000,000	5,744,000,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)	2.30%	1.60%
Commercial paper
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Amount outstanding	310,000,000	365,000,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)	0.30%	0.90%
Commercial paper authorization by HP	16,000,000,000
Subsidiaries' commercial paper authorization	1,000,000,000
U.S. commercial paper authorization increase			3,000,000,000
Subsidiaries' commercial paper authorization, available for Hewlett-Packard International Bank PLC	500,000,000
Available borrowing resources, other than 2012 Shelf Registration	16,200,000,000
Number of commercial paper	2
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	456,000,000	538,000,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)	2.10%	2.80%
Deposits associated with banking activities	340,000,000	369,000,000
Available borrowing resources, other than 2012 Shelf Registration	1,500,000,000
Credit facility expiring March 2017
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Amount available under credit facility	3,000,000,000
Term of credit facility	5 years
Credit facility expired February 2015
Notes Payable and Short-Term Borrowings
Amount available under credit facility	$ 4,500,000,000
Term of credit facility	4 years