Good caution Matt.

That sounds likely to be true if bypassing TPM 2 to install.
My old Win7 was installing updates OK for a long time, then suddenly stopped on a major, 95% installing and rolling back every few days, with just an obscure error number that barely helped. Eventually, after 18 months, I heard that it was related to that "This CPU..." message. The whole business was a real PITA.

A virtual machine may do better with a virtual TPM 2, but there can be other downsides.
I ran Win7 in VirtualBox on Linux to see if BiaB and my CAD would run there, but there was some messing about due to complications with hardware and, on Linux at least, the right DirectX wasn't then fully implemented, so my CAD wouldn't render.

Summary ... I think I'd also do as Matt would ... not even try. I'd either stick with the old machine and its old Windows, or buy a new machine and put Linux on the old one.

Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.