A driving apparatus and a method for a liquid crystal display wherein a picture can be inspected by a specific image signal when an image signal is not applied is provided. In the driving apparatus, an image signal processor extracts a complex synchronizing signal and a first image signal from a complex image signal input from an external source. An image signal generator generates a second image signal. An input signal detector counts the pulses in the complex synchronizing signal to generate a selection signal. An image signal selector selectively outputs any one of the first image signal from the image signal processor and the second image signal from the image signal generator in response to the selection signal. A data driver applies an output image signal selected and output by the image signal selector to the liquid crystal display panel.