From Houdini 20.5
How do I fix the the "Windows error 0xc0000142" error when installing Houdini?

Try reinstalling the Microsoft Visual C++ 2xxx version.

Uninstall Existing Versions:

Start>Run>type appwiz.cpl and hit Enter.
Uninstall all the components shown as Microsoft Visual C++ 2xxx Redistributable.

Download and Install the Latest Versions:

Visit the official Microsoft website for the Latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloads.

Download the latest versions of the Redistributables for your system architecture (both x86 and x64 versions are typically needed on 64-bit systems).

Install the downloaded packages. Follow the on-screen prompts during installation.