DEP needs to be turn off if not game will crash here link how to turn it off The some other games do it to I got game to work after i turn it off
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QYAoIHXxNE

Are you saying the GOG version does not run without this? As far as I am aware it does. I would highly recommend not turning DEP off unless you really understand what you are doing as you could do a lot of damage Beth internaly and from external threats.

As a note, always install anything to folders outside program files and x86 as this avoids some issues.

gog version of aow worked fine for me too, windows 10 ( though i haven't checked with the latest windows update )

Same here, I played all the way through the Keepers campaign on Windows 7 and never experienced a single crash. So I'd probably say try the game as it is before making any alterations.

Triumph are still active right? Ask em on Twitter if they'll patch it