Software Deployment

Sure, that can definitely be done. In fact that way is often preferred. That way you can upgrade your app without having to upgrade your data (if the app allows) and vice-versa. The packages end up as being co-dependent, but that just means when you distribute it you need to make sure that if you install one, you also install the other before the user attempts to use the application.

What you shouldn't do is combine multiple apps into a single MSI. Windows installer will consider them to be a single applicaiton and your options will be limited.

Pardon the noob question ( :-) ) but...

Won't you have 2 different installs in the Add or Remove tool following this way ? (But maybe it is not a problem for you).

Yup. You will. Not a problem for me. In your case, I'd make one application name "Application1" and the other "Application1 Data".

If you've ever seen distributed packages in a large corporate environment, you'll find packages such as:

Widgets 1.0 - Application
Widgets 1.0 - Accounting Dept Config (Only containing particular config files & reg keys omitted from application)
Widgets 1.0 - HR Dept Config
Widgets 1.0 - Default Data Set

You keep track of it by setting up dependencies in your distribution system. Deploy Widgets 1.0 - Accounting Dept Config and it will automatically deploy the Widgets 1.0 - Application as well, then deploy Widgets 1.0 - Default Data Set, etc. Once defined, you don't need to think about it at all. Just send out the dept's config and everything else just follows.

ok :-)

I'm sorry, but how might I go about doing this? Is there a box or something that says seperate into multiple files or something?

That really depends on your MSI editor. Essentially you create an empty MSI and take items out of one and place it in the other. Or if you have a good conflict checker you can copy the original and then go through both to make sure each item is in only one of them. Use the conflict checker to insure you have no overlap between the two.