Were you using a Pentium? I can't remember which model, but one specific make of (I think it was) Pentium II, but maybe III had a finite life span, measured (roughly) in usage, due to a design flaw. Of course, that was quickly fixed in the newer models once discovered. The circuits had been too close together, and generated heat which damaged the comp with high usage.
Desktop computers normally don't have a finite lifetime, beyond becoming obsolete in terms of system prereqs. I have a Mac plus from the mid or late 1980s in my house that I still use for kicks and giggles sometimes. Laptops too, assuming you take proper care of the battery (running it down and reloading it when you should; my comp sci friends tell me once a month is more than adequate).
This shouldn't affect the (non-existent) lifespan of your comp in any way, as far as I know. But ask a hardcore tech-geek here, and you can get a better answer, if that doesn't satisfy you. ;)
I don't know how to do a screen cap, but I have ...
Donator Fanfan
Team number 36120
Finished WU's 0
Waiting for core step# 58
I'm having trouble, it's not loading properly.
I tried un installing the program, and tried to re install using Fanfan1, and I just get that same page (still says Fanfan) with the error results I reported in post # 51 and 52.
I'm running on Firefox, could this be part of the problem?