Time Machine starts backup but stop and never starts again I had Time Machine configured and working, then one day it stopped working and got stuck on preparing backup. I ended up wiping the backup drive and had Time Machine start new. It finds the drive and begins to back up but then it never finishes, in fact it will start every hour but never finish. 

I have exhausted everything on Google that I could find. Is there a way to wipe the Time Machine config files and start fresh on Mac OS?
This is a known bug. I'm aware it's been around for quite a while, since Sierra, and don't think it's been fixed as yet. 

Try The Time Machine Mechanic (T2M2) which should give more information about the error. It also includes a help file with advice and resolutions.