I just updated to El Capitan and I found out that the Preview couldn't do search. I have database of pdf format and I used to search the numbers in that file. But now Preview couldn't search for anything.
MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11)
same here!!! my pdf files were fine with the search function before updating to El Capitan.
When I tried searching a keyword in the same pdf files with Adobe Acrobat, it worked fine!
There must be sth wrong with the Preview App.
By the way, the "add comments" function doesn't work well too.
I have same problem, work around doing a copy of the PDF file, and searching in that copy.
I'm having a similar problem in Preview. I can search a PDF and it will tell me that the word is found on Page x but it won't take me there like it always did before El Cap. Telling me what page the word is on is not as quick or helpful as just taking me right to the word was - I'm searching some loooooong documents. Funny thing it that even if I'm searching with the side thumbnails turned off, the search request pops up a thumbnail of the page the word is on. BUT clicking that thumbnail doesn't take me to the page, let alone the word. Worked fast and flawlessly in Yosemite so I assume this is an El Cap bug... or removed feature?!
preview cannot perform search request
