Income Taxes (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010	Oct. 31, 2009
Reconciliation of Company's effective tax rate from federal statutory rate
Federal tax (benefit) provision at statutory rate	$ (10,278)	$ (41,015)	$ (173,763)
State taxes net of federal benefit	(954)	(3,809)	(14,522)
Reversal of accrual for uncertain tax positions	(52,306)	(39,485)	(77,337)
Accrued interest on anticipated tax assessments	3,055	9,263	6,828
Increase in unrecognized tax benefit		35,575	39,500
Increase in deferred tax assets, net	(25,948)
Valuation allowance - recognized	43,876	55,492	458,280
Valuation allowance - reversed	(25,689)	(128,640)
Reversal of tax credits			10,000
Other	(917)	(1,194)	10,374
Income tax provision (benefit)	$ (69,161)	$ (113,813)	$ 259,360
Federal tax benefit provision at statutory rate, percentage	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State taxes net of federal benefit, percentage	3.20%	3.30%	2.90%
Reversal of accrual for uncertain tax positions, percentage	178.10%	33.70%	15.60%
Accrued interest on anticipated tax assessments, percentage	(10.40%)	(7.90%)	(1.40%)
Increase in unrecognized tax benefit, percentage		(30.30%)	(8.00%)
Increase in deferred tax assets, percentage	88.40%
Valuation allowance - recognized, percentage	(149.40%)	(47.40%)	(92.30%)
Valuation allowance - reversed, percentage	87.50%	109.70%
Reversal of tax credits, percentage			(2.00%)
Other, percentage	3.10%	1.00%	(2.10%)
Tax provision (benefit), percentage	235.50%	97.10%	(52.30%)