To change a resource from linked to embedded
With a project selected in Solution Explorer, on the Project menu click Properties.

Click the Resources tab.

On the Resource Designer toolbar, point to the resource view drop-down, click the arrow, and select
the type of resource that you want to edit.
Select the resource that you wish to change.
In the Properties window (on the right), select the Persistence property and change it to Embedded
in .resx.
-------------------------------------------------------
Embed file to recources and read at run-time

Public Function GetResource(ByVal filename As String) As System.IO.Stream
' Instructions:

' Add an XML document to your project called "test.xml"
' Click the file and under properties, set BuildAction to "Embedded Resource"
' paste this routine in one of your classes or forms.

' Add the import to the top of your class

' Imports System.Xml.XmlDocument

' Dim the XML Document object
' Dim xmldoc As XmlDocument = New XmlDocument()

' Load the XML document from the resource
' xmldoc.Load(GetResource("test.xml"))

'You have learned how to embed files within
' your program and read them at run-time

'

Dim oAssembly As Reflection.Assembly = MyClass.GetType.Assembly
Dim sFiles() As String
Dim sFile As String

' prefix filename with namespace
filename = oAssembly.GetName.Name & "." & filename
' get a list of all embeded files
sFiles = oAssembly.GetManifestResourceNames()
' loop through each file
For Each sFile In sFiles
' found the file? return the stream
If sFile = filename Then
Return oAssembly.GetManifestResourceStream(sFile)
End If
Next

End Function



Keep in mind that
you are not able to write to embedded resources once they are linked into an assembly