&gt; If I install Notepad++ because it allows me to work faster, am I using or abusing the computer?<p>This, and all of your examples, would be considered abuse if your corporate policy stated you were not allowed to install any software without IT&#x27;s permission. It is that simple, really.<p>&gt; if employees have local administrator rights, they are expected to manage their system themselves<p>This sort of thing really only occurs at small businesses with little-to-no internal IT support, or with very special cases (such as a developer, which would have special approvals by the company to do so).<p>&gt; If your employees cannot be trusted to manage their machine, why do they have administrator rights in the first place<p>Well, they shouldn&#x27;t, and they don&#x27;t at most companies.<p>In the end, you signed a usage agreement. If you deliberately break that agreement, don&#x27;t be surprised by the consequences.