Windows 7 Newbie: thumb drive that has bootable win 7 64-bit--for emergency crash problems

Own a licensed/registered/activated win 7 64-bit disc. Wondering how to create a bootable usb thumb drive, in case of machine crash. Need insurance policy that is handy. I love usb thumb drives, and have a case to hold various. please advise. Do I have to use a disk. Do I need to buy a bootable disk from MS.

 

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Own a licensed/registered/activated win 7 64-bit disc. Wondering how to create a bootable usb thumb drive, in case of machine crash. Need insurance policy that is handy. I love usb thumb drives, and have a case to hold various. please advise. Do I have to use a disk. Do I need to buy a bootable disk from MS.

There is a guide here. Install Windows 7 From USB Drive/Pen Drive