Ex-Lilywhites winger Gareth Ainsworth, the QPR captain, made a great return to Deepdale with a goal after just five minutes.
It was a Lee Cook left-wing corner which Ray Jones got a touch to and the Preston defenders were hesitant and Ainsworth managed to reach the loose ball to volley home right-footed from six yards into the middle of the net past home keeper Carlo Nash.
Martin Rowlands limped off with an injury after just 11 minutes and was replaced by Steve Lomas.
Rangers midfielder Nick Ward had an 18-yard left-foot shot from the left channel which went wide of the right-hand post and Matthew Rose hit a 20-yard right-foot shot wide after 21 minutes.
Preston captain Paul McKenna was booked for a foul on Dexter Blackstock after half an hour and Lee Cook curled a free-kick which went narrowly wide.
Kelvin Wilson had to be stretchered off after 41 minutes when he went down holding his right knee and was replaced by Alan McCormack.
Blackstock had a 25-yard left-foot shot caught by Preston keeper Nash and just before half-time David Nugent had a header saved by QPR keeper Paul Jones, who tipped it round the post for a left-wing corner and then he shot over from close range.
Simon Whaley started the second half with a 25-yard right-foot shot which was saved by Jones.
Jones, the QPR forward, headed wide and then Ward shot wide as the visitors went in search of a killer second goal.
Danny Pugh, the Preston left winger, had a 25-yard left-foot shot caught by Jones from the left channel and then he shot wide of the left-hand post after a pass by Whaley.
Ainsworth had a left-foot shot deflected over the bar for a right-wing corner and Jason Jarrett had a 30-yard shot which went over the bar.
Then, with time running out, Paul McKenna, the Preston captain, met an inch-perfect Lewis Neal left-foot left-wing cross and headed the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net to make it 1-1.
Five minutes of injury time were added on at the end of the game, but neither side could force a winner and a draw was a fair result.