Unable to find or search text in a PDF

Last updated on 27 Des 2022 | Also applies to Acrobat Reader

Adobe Acrobat

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Unable to search text in a PDF after updating Acrobat or Acrobat Reader to the latest version

On Windows only

Acrobat or Acrobat Reader is unable to search or find text in a PDF using the Find or Advanced Search tool.

Applicable versions

Acrobat (Version 2021.001.20135 | February 9, 2021 release)
Acrobat Reader (Version 2021.001.20135 | February 9, 2021 release)

Solution 1: Update Acrobat or Acrobat Reader to the latest patch

Update your Acrobat and Acrobat Reader. The latest patch release (21.001.20142) has the fix for this problem. To update from within the product, open Acrobat or Acrobat Reader, and go to Help > Check for updates.

In case you are still facing issues, try Solution 2 below.

Solution 2: Enable the PDF index using bFallbackOnix32 registry key

Applicable on Windows (32-bit)

Update your Acrobat and Acrobat Reader to 21.001.20142 or higher version, and then try the steps below.

Quit Acrobat or Acrobat Reader if it's already running.
Open the Registry Editor: Go to Run (Windows menu + R), type regedit.exe in the Open field, and then click OK.
In the Registry Editor, create the following key:
- For Acrobat:
Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\FeatureState
Key: bFallbackOnix32
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1
- For Acrobat Reader:
Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\DC\FeatureState
Key: bFallbackOnix32
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1
Close the Registry Editor.