1. To run other .EXEs, your application does NOT require to be ActiveX EXE. You can execute Shell function also from Standart EXE.
2. If your .EXEs know path to the .INI file, there are no problem they use same/different sections of this file. Bacause .INI file are usually small, every .EXE can load this file (for example, in String type variable), close it and after that process it. In that case it will not prevent other .EXEs to open this file.