I think the article linked is outdated. The Sync code is now 25 words. The 25th word changes daily.
This link has more information and instuctions:
Recovery key not accepted on fresh install - had to start from scratch! - #12 by Alexey
This link is to the tool that will give you the current day’s 25th word.
online-tool to see what is the 25th sync word
Hope this helps anyone viewing this topic. Take care.