diff --git a/copyparty/__main__.py b/copyparty/__main__.py
index f6a1216a..44ae1d85 100755
--- a/copyparty/__main__.py
+++ b/copyparty/__main__.py
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ class RiceFormatter(argparse.HelpFormatter):
                 defaulting_nargs = [argparse.OPTIONAL, argparse.ZERO_OR_MORE]
                 if action.option_strings or action.nargs in defaulting_nargs:
                     ret += fmt
+
+        if not VT100:
+            ret = re.sub("\033\[[0-9;]+m", "", ret)
+
         return ret
 
     def _fill_text(self, text: str, width: int, indent: str) -> str:
@@ -566,13 +570,13 @@ def run_argparse(argv: list[str], formatter: Any, retry: bool) -> argparse.Names
     ap2.add_argument("-c", metavar="PATH", type=u, action="append", help="add config file")
     ap2.add_argument("-nc", metavar="NUM", type=int, default=64, help="max num clients")
     ap2.add_argument("-j", metavar="CORES", type=int, default=1, help="max num cpu cores, 0=all")
-    ap2.add_argument("-a", metavar="ACCT", type=u, action="append", help="add account, USER:PASS; example [ed:wark]")
-    ap2.add_argument("-v", metavar="VOL", type=u, action="append", help="add volume, SRC:DST:FLAG; examples [.::r], [/mnt/nas/music:/music:r:aed]")
+    ap2.add_argument("-a", metavar="ACCT", type=u, action="append", help="add account, \033[33mUSER\033[0m:\033[33mPASS\033[0m; example [\033[32med:wark\033[0m]")
+    ap2.add_argument("-v", metavar="VOL", type=u, action="append", help="add volume, \033[33mSRC\033[0m:\033[33mDST\033[0m:\033[33mFLAG\033[0m; examples [\033[32m.::r\033[0m], [\033[32m/mnt/nas/music:/music:r:aed\033[0m]")
     ap2.add_argument("-ed", action="store_true", help="enable the ?dots url parameter / client option which allows clients to see dotfiles / hidden files")
     ap2.add_argument("-emp", action="store_true", help="enable markdown plugins -- neat but dangerous, big XSS risk")
     ap2.add_argument("-mcr", metavar="SEC", type=int, default=60, help="md-editor mod-chk rate")
     ap2.add_argument("--urlform", metavar="MODE", type=u, default="print,get", help="how to handle url-form POSTs; see --help-urlform")
-    ap2.add_argument("--wintitle", metavar="TXT", type=u, default="cpp @ $pub", help="window title, for example '$ip-10.1.2.' or '$ip-'")
+    ap2.add_argument("--wintitle", metavar="TXT", type=u, default="cpp @ $pub", help="window title, for example [\033[32m$ip-10.1.2.\033[0m] or [\033[32m$ip-]")
     ap2.add_argument("--license", action="store_true", help="show licenses and exit")
     ap2.add_argument("--version", action="store_true", help="show versions and exit")
 
@@ -589,14 +593,14 @@ def run_argparse(argv: list[str], formatter: Any, retry: bool) -> argparse.Names
     ap2.add_argument("--magic", action="store_true", help="enable filetype detection on nameless uploads")
     ap2.add_argument("--df", metavar="GiB", type=float, default=0, help="ensure GiB free disk space by rejecting upload requests")
     ap2.add_argument("--sparse", metavar="MiB", type=int, default=4, help="windows-only: minimum size of incoming uploads through up2k before they are made into sparse files")
-    ap2.add_argument("--turbo", metavar="LVL", type=int, default=0, help="configure turbo-mode in up2k client; 0 = off and warn if enabled, 1 = off, 2 = on, 3 = on and disable datecheck")
-    ap2.add_argument("--u2sort", metavar="TXT", type=u, default="s", help="upload order; s=smallest-first, n=alphabetical, fs=force-s, fn=force-n -- alphabetical is a bit slower on fiber/LAN but makes it easier to eyeball if everything went fine")
+    ap2.add_argument("--turbo", metavar="LVL", type=int, default=0, help="configure turbo-mode in up2k client; [\033[32m0\033[0m] = off and warn if enabled, [\033[32m1\033[0m] = off, [\033[32m2\033[0m] = on, [\033[32m3\033[0m] = on and disable datecheck")
+    ap2.add_argument("--u2sort", metavar="TXT", type=u, default="s", help="upload order; [\033[32ms\033[0m]=smallest-first, [\033[32mn\033[0m]=alphabetical, [\033[32mfs\033[0m]=force-s, [\033[32mfn\033[0m]=force-n -- alphabetical is a bit slower on fiber/LAN but makes it easier to eyeball if everything went fine")
     ap2.add_argument("--write-uplog", action="store_true", help="write POST reports to textfiles in working-directory")
 
     ap2 = ap.add_argument_group('network options')
     ap2.add_argument("-i", metavar="IP", type=u, default="0.0.0.0", help="ip to bind (comma-sep.)")
     ap2.add_argument("-p", metavar="PORT", type=u, default="3923", help="ports to bind (comma/range)")
-    ap2.add_argument("--rproxy", metavar="DEPTH", type=int, default=1, help="which ip to keep; 0 = tcp, 1 = origin (first x-fwd), 2 = cloudflare, 3 = nginx, -1 = closest proxy")
+    ap2.add_argument("--rproxy", metavar="DEPTH", type=int, default=1, help="which ip to keep; [\033[32m0\033[0m]=tcp, [\033[32m1\033[0m]=origin (first x-fwd), [\033[32m2\033[0m]=cloudflare, [\033[32m3\033[0m]=nginx, [\033[32m-1\033[0m]=closest proxy")
     ap2.add_argument("--s-wr-sz", metavar="B", type=int, default=256*1024, help="socket write size in bytes")
     ap2.add_argument("--s-wr-slp", metavar="SEC", type=float, default=0, help="debug: socket write delay in seconds")
     ap2.add_argument("--rsp-slp", metavar="SEC", type=float, default=0, help="debug: response delay in seconds")
@@ -604,17 +608,17 @@ def run_argparse(argv: list[str], formatter: Any, retry: bool) -> argparse.Names
     ap2 = ap.add_argument_group('SSL/TLS options')
     ap2.add_argument("--http-only", action="store_true", help="disable ssl/tls -- force plaintext")
     ap2.add_argument("--https-only", action="store_true", help="disable plaintext -- force tls")
-    ap2.add_argument("--ssl-ver", metavar="LIST", type=u, help="set allowed ssl/tls versions; [help] shows available versions; default is what your python version considers safe")
-    ap2.add_argument("--ciphers", metavar="LIST", type=u, help="set allowed ssl/tls ciphers; [help] shows available ciphers")
+    ap2.add_argument("--ssl-ver", metavar="LIST", type=u, help="set allowed ssl/tls versions; [\033[32mhelp\033[0m] shows available versions; default is what your python version considers safe")
+    ap2.add_argument("--ciphers", metavar="LIST", type=u, help="set allowed ssl/tls ciphers; [\033[32mhelp\033[0m] shows available ciphers")
     ap2.add_argument("--ssl-dbg", action="store_true", help="dump some tls info")
     ap2.add_argument("--ssl-log", metavar="PATH", type=u, help="log master secrets for later decryption in wireshark")
 
     ap2 = ap.add_argument_group('FTP options')
-    ap2.add_argument("--ftp", metavar="PORT", type=int, help="enable FTP server on PORT, for example 3921")
-    ap2.add_argument("--ftps", metavar="PORT", type=int, help="enable FTPS server on PORT, for example 3990")
+    ap2.add_argument("--ftp", metavar="PORT", type=int, help="enable FTP server on PORT, for example \033[32m3921")
+    ap2.add_argument("--ftps", metavar="PORT", type=int, help="enable FTPS server on PORT, for example \033[32m3990")
     ap2.add_argument("--ftp-dbg", action="store_true", help="enable debug logging")
     ap2.add_argument("--ftp-nat", metavar="ADDR", type=u, help="the NAT address to use for passive connections")
-    ap2.add_argument("--ftp-pr", metavar="P-P", type=u, help="the range of TCP ports to use for passive connections, for example 12000-13000")
+    ap2.add_argument("--ftp-pr", metavar="P-P", type=u, help="the range of TCP ports to use for passive connections, for example \033[32m12000-13000")
 
     ap2 = ap.add_argument_group('opt-outs')
     ap2.add_argument("-nw", action="store_true", help="never write anything to disk (debug/benchmark)")
@@ -630,7 +634,7 @@ def run_argparse(argv: list[str], formatter: Any, retry: bool) -> argparse.Names
     ap2.add_argument("-s", action="count", default=0, help="increase safety: Disable thumbnails / potentially dangerous software (ffmpeg/pillow/vips), hide partial uploads, avoid crawlers.\n └─Alias of\033[32m --dotpart --no-thumb --no-mtag-ff --no-robots --force-js")
     ap2.add_argument("-ss", action="store_true", help="further increase safety: Prevent js-injection, accidental move/delete, broken symlinks, 404 on 403, ban on excessive 404s.\n └─Alias of\033[32m -s --no-dot-mv --no-dot-ren --unpost=0 --no-del --no-mv --hardlink --vague-403 --ban-404=50,60,1440 -nih")
     ap2.add_argument("-sss", action="store_true", help="further increase safety: Enable logging to disk, scan for dangerous symlinks.\n └─Alias of\033[32m -ss -lo=cpp-%%Y-%%m%%d-%%H%%M%%S.txt.xz --ls=**,*,ln,p,r")
-    ap2.add_argument("--ls", metavar="U[,V[,F]]", type=u, help="do a sanity/safety check of all volumes on startup; arguments USER,VOL,FLAGS; example [**,*,ln,p,r]")
+    ap2.add_argument("--ls", metavar="U[,V[,F]]", type=u, help="do a sanity/safety check of all volumes on startup; arguments \033[33mUSER\033[0m,\033[33mVOL\033[0m,\033[33mFLAGS\033[0m; example [\033[32m**,*,ln,p,r\033[0m]")
     ap2.add_argument("--salt", type=u, default="hunter2", help="up2k file-hash salt; used to generate unpredictable internal identifiers for uploads -- doesn't really matter")
     ap2.add_argument("--fk-salt", metavar="SALT", type=u, default=fk_salt, help="per-file accesskey salt; used to generate unpredictable URLs for hidden files -- this one DOES matter")
     ap2.add_argument("--no-dot-mv", action="store_true", help="disallow moving dotfiles; makes it impossible to move folders containing dotfiles")
@@ -640,18 +644,18 @@ def run_argparse(argv: list[str], formatter: Any, retry: bool) -> argparse.Names
     ap2.add_argument("--vague-403", action="store_true", help="send 404 instead of 403 (security through ambiguity, very enterprise)")
     ap2.add_argument("--force-js", action="store_true", help="don't send folder listings as HTML, force clients to use the embedded json instead -- slight protection against misbehaving search engines which ignore --no-robots")
     ap2.add_argument("--no-robots", action="store_true", help="adds http and html headers asking search engines to not index anything")
-    ap2.add_argument("--logout", metavar="H", type=float, default="8086", help="logout clients after H hours of inactivity (0.0028=10sec, 0.1=6min, 24=day, 168=week, 720=month, 8760=year)")
-    ap2.add_argument("--ban-pw", metavar="N,W,B", type=u, default="9,60,1440", help="more than N wrong passwords in W minutes = ban for B minutes (disable with \"no\")")
-    ap2.add_argument("--ban-404", metavar="N,W,B", type=u, default="no", help="hitting more than N 404's in W minutes = ban for B minutes (disabled by default since turbo-up2k counts as 404s)")
+    ap2.add_argument("--logout", metavar="H", type=float, default="8086", help="logout clients after H hours of inactivity; [\033[32m0.0028\033[0m]=10sec, [\033[32m0.1\033[0m]=6min, [\033[32m24\033[0m]=day, [\033[32m168\033[0m]=week, [\033[32m720\033[0m]=month, [\033[32m8760\033[0m]=year)")
+    ap2.add_argument("--ban-pw", metavar="N,W,B", type=u, default="9,60,1440", help="more than \033[33mN\033[0m wrong passwords in \033[33mW\033[0m minutes = ban for \033[33mB\033[0m minutes; disable with [\033[32mno\033[0m]")
+    ap2.add_argument("--ban-404", metavar="N,W,B", type=u, default="no", help="hitting more than \033[33mN\033[0m 404's in \033[33mW\033[0m minutes = ban for \033[33mB\033[0m minutes (disabled by default since turbo-up2k counts as 404s)")
 
     ap2 = ap.add_argument_group('shutdown options')
     ap2.add_argument("--ign-ebind", action="store_true", help="continue running even if it's impossible to listen on some of the requested endpoints")
     ap2.add_argument("--ign-ebind-all", action="store_true", help="continue running even if it's impossible to receive connections at all")
-    ap2.add_argument("--exit", metavar="WHEN", type=u, default="", help="shutdown after WHEN has finished; for example 'idx' will do volume indexing + metadata analysis")
+    ap2.add_argument("--exit", metavar="WHEN", type=u, default="", help="shutdown after WHEN has finished; for example [\033[32midx\033[0m] will do volume indexing + metadata analysis")
 
     ap2 = ap.add_argument_group('logging options')
     ap2.add_argument("-q", action="store_true", help="quiet")
-    ap2.add_argument("-lo", metavar="PATH", type=u, help="logfile, example: cpp-%%Y-%%m%%d-%%H%%M%%S.txt.xz")
+    ap2.add_argument("-lo", metavar="PATH", type=u, help="logfile, example: \033[32mcpp-%%Y-%%m%%d-%%H%%M%%S.txt.xz")
     ap2.add_argument("--no-voldump", action="store_true", help="do not list volumes and permissions on startup")
     ap2.add_argument("--log-conn", action="store_true", help="debug: print tcp-server msgs")
     ap2.add_argument("--log-htp", action="store_true", help="debug: print http-server threadpool scaling")
@@ -734,7 +738,7 @@ def run_argparse(argv: list[str], formatter: Any, retry: bool) -> argparse.Names
     ap2.add_argument("--lang", metavar="LANG", type=u, default="eng", help="language")
     ap2.add_argument("--theme", metavar="NUM", type=int, default=0, help="default theme to use")
     ap2.add_argument("--themes", metavar="NUM", type=int, default=8, help="number of themes installed")
-    ap2.add_argument("--favico", metavar="TXT", type=u, default="c 000 none" if retry else "🎉 000 none", help="favicon text [ foreground [ background ] ], set blank to disable")
+    ap2.add_argument("--favico", metavar="TXT", type=u, default="c 000 none" if retry else "🎉 000 none", help="\033[33mfavicon-text\033[0m [ \033[33mforeground\033[0m [ \033[33mbackground\033[0m ] ], set blank to disable")
     ap2.add_argument("--js-browser", metavar="L", type=u, help="URL to additional JS to include")
     ap2.add_argument("--css-browser", metavar="L", type=u, help="URL to additional CSS to include")
     ap2.add_argument("--html-head", metavar="TXT", type=u, default="", help="text to append to the <head> of all HTML pages")
@@ -747,9 +751,9 @@ def run_argparse(argv: list[str], formatter: Any, retry: bool) -> argparse.Names
     ap2.add_argument("--no-scandir", action="store_true", help="disable scandir; instead using listdir + stat on each file")
     ap2.add_argument("--no-fastboot", action="store_true", help="wait for up2k indexing before starting the httpd")
     ap2.add_argument("--no-htp", action="store_true", help="disable httpserver threadpool, create threads as-needed instead")
-    ap2.add_argument("--stackmon", metavar="P,S", type=u, help="write stacktrace to Path every S second, for example --stackmon=./st/%%Y-%%m/%%d/%%H%%M.xz,60")
+    ap2.add_argument("--stackmon", metavar="P,S", type=u, help="write stacktrace to Path every S second, for example --stackmon=\033[32m./st/%%Y-%%m/%%d/%%H%%M.xz,60")
     ap2.add_argument("--log-thrs", metavar="SEC", type=float, help="list active threads every SEC")
-    ap2.add_argument("--log-fk", metavar="REGEX", type=u, default="", help="log filekey params for files where path matches REGEX; '.' (a single dot) = all files")
+    ap2.add_argument("--log-fk", metavar="REGEX", type=u, default="", help="log filekey params for files where path matches REGEX; [\033[32m.\033[0m] (a single dot) = all files")
     ap2.add_argument("--bak-flips", action="store_true", help="[up2k] if a client uploads a bitflipped/corrupted chunk, store a copy according to --bf-nc and --bf-dir")
     ap2.add_argument("--bf-nc", metavar="NUM", type=int, default=200, help="bak-flips: stop if there's more than NUM files at --kf-dir already; default: 6.3 GiB max (200*32M)")
     ap2.add_argument("--bf-dir", metavar="PATH", type=u, default="bf", help="bak-flips: store corrupted chunks at PATH; default: folder named 'bf' wherever copyparty was started")