Stockholders' Equity - Changes and Reclassifications Related to Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2019	Jan. 31, 2018
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes	$ (76)	$ (60)
Net unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	2
(Gains) losses reclassified into earnings	(3)
Change in net unrealized (losses) gains on cash flow hedges
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	33
(Gains) losses reclassified into earnings	(117)
Change in unrealized components of defined benefit plans
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(45)
(Gains) losses reclassified into earnings	45
Change in cumulative translation adjustment
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	9
(Gains) losses reclassified into earnings	0
Reclassifications of gains (losses) into earnings \| Net unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	2	1
(Gains) losses reclassified into earnings	(3)	8
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes	(1)	9
Reclassifications of gains (losses) into earnings \| Change in net unrealized (losses) gains on cash flow hedges
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	33	(156)
(Gains) losses reclassified into earnings	(117)	26
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes	(84)	(130)
Reclassifications of gains (losses) into earnings \| Change in unrealized components of defined benefit plans
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes	0	38
Reclassifications of gains (losses) into earnings \| (Losses) gains arising during the period
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
(Gains) losses reclassified into earnings	(45)	1
Reclassifications of gains (losses) into earnings \| Amortization of actuarial loss and prior service benefit
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
(Gains) losses reclassified into earnings	49	44
Reclassifications of gains (losses) into earnings \| Curtailments, settlements and other
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes	(4)	(7)
Reclassifications of gains (losses) into earnings \| Change in cumulative translation adjustment
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes	$ 9	$ 23

Amount after tax, before reclassification adjustments of other comprehensive income (loss).

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114867106&loc=SL7669686-108580

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 15
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109228884&loc=d3e1436-108581

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount after tax and reclassification adjustments of other comprehensive income (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114867106&loc=SL7669619-108580

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21463-112644

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 15
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109228884&loc=d3e1436-108581

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114867106&loc=SL7669625-108580

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount after tax of reclassification adjustments of other comprehensive income (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 17B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114867106&loc=SL34724394-108580

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114867106&loc=SL7669686-108580

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 15
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109228884&loc=d3e1436-108581

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReclassificationFromAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeCurrentPeriodNetOfTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedNetGainLossFromDesignatedOrQualifyingCashFlowHedgesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis=us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentNetUnamortizedGainLossMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=hpe_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentActuarialGainLossAndNetPriorServiceCostCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=hpe_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentCurtailmentsSettlementsAndOtherMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: