Taxes on Earnings (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010	Oct. 31, 2009
Components of earnings
U.S.	$ 3,039	$ 4,027	$ 2,569
Non-U.S.	5,943	6,947	6,846
Total Earnings	8,982	10,974	9,415
U.S. federal taxes:
Current	390	484	47
Deferred	(590)	231	956
Non-U.S. taxes:
Current	1,177	1,345	1,156
Deferred	611	21	(356)
State taxes:
Current	141	187	173
Deferred	179	(55)	(221)
Total taxes	1,908	2,213	1,755
Deferred Tax Assets and Deferred Tax Liabilities
Loss carryforwards, tax assets	9,793	9,832
Credit carryforwards, tax assets	2,739	733
Unremitted earnings of foreign subsidiaries, tax liabilities	8,209	7,529
Inventory valuation, tax assets	236	153
Inventory valuation, tax liabilities	12	10
Intercompany transactions - profit in inventory, tax assets	418	514
Intercompany transactions - profit in inventory, tax liabilities		1
Intercompany transactions - excluding inventory, tax assets	1,529	2,339
Fixed assets, tax assets	255	163
Fixed assets, tax liabilities	63	15
Warranty, tax assets	747	723
Warranty, tax liabilities		48
Employee and retiree benefits, tax assets	1,819	2,800
Employee and retiree benefits, tax liabilities	18	29
Accounts receivable allowance, tax assets	262	290
Accounts receivable allowance, tax liabilities	2	9
Capitalized research and development, tax assets	294	597
Purchased intangible assets, tax assets	125	11
Purchased intangible assets, tax liabilities	2,738	1,885
Restructuring, tax assets	233	404
Restructuring, tax liabilities		13
Equity investments, tax assets	58	59
Equity investments, tax liabilities	6
Deferred revenue, tax assets	1,025	975
Deferred revenue, tax liabilities	38	24
Other, tax assets	2,296	1,587
Other, tax liabilities	233	251
Gross deferred tax assets	21,829	21,180
Gross deferred tax liabilities	11,319	9,814
Valuation allowance	(9,057)	(8,755)	(8,700)
Total deferred tax assets	$ 12,772	$ 12,425