Windows update rendered Live Mail inoperable and and upon refresh, all my messages are gone. Are they stored “in the cloud” and available to be retrieved?

An automatic update rendered Internet Explorer and Windows Live Mail inoperable-- wouldn't load.  Strange-- Outlook and Google Chrome still worked.  But anyway, after 2 days on the phone with HP support, I finally had to do a system refresh which restores operating files but is supposed to leave personal data files intact.  After reinstalling the deleted applications, including Windows Live Essentials, I find that years of my archived e-mails and contacts are GONE....  I didn't panic at first because I thought Windows Live Mail messages were stored "in the cloud" and they'd return after I sync'd.  Didn't happen.  Still not panicking because I back up daily using Windows Backup... only to find out that the Windows Live files aren't included in the backup set.  OK... TIME TO PANIC!  Anyone have any ideas on how to restore my e-mails???  (They're not in the AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows Live Mail folder -- I checked that first.)