Don't connect to the internet in any way or form as Win 7 support finished donkeys years ago so there have been no security fixes or updates, thus leaving the machine vulnerable.
With an old laptop think about installing Linux Mint (There are plenty of free DAWs available for it) as it will give you security and peace of mind. (Make sure all the software you use is able to run on Linux, or has a Linux equivalent)
Note there are other versions of Linux Desktop if Mint is not to your liking. (Coming from Win 7 it should be ideal though)

Bill